


A Pastel Princess and His Punk Prince

by mikeyspankme



Series: Kurohina [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Punk, Boys Kissing, Boys in Skirts, Crossdressing, M/M, punk! kuroo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-12 16:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 54,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5673577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikeyspankme/pseuds/mikeyspankme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata Shouyou is a 20 year old living with his best friend, Kageyama. He attends the local university, but his main passions are his pastel aesthetic blog and wearing cute skirts. He's a hopeless romantic who falls hard and quick. Kuroo happens to be there when he does. Kuroo isn't the best at catching people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Shouyou sat on the tattered old couch that he and Kageyama had picked up off of Craigslist, his newer laptop sat snugly in his lap. On the screen. images of cute pastels and even cuter clothes scrolled on. At the things Shouyou found especially cute, he clicked on the reblog button, tagging descriptions of the posts as he saw fit. His tags weren’t random; everything he tagged was either for easier browsing purposes of because someone had asked him to tag certain images/phrases due to triggers. Some people might have been irked at someone else asking them to tag things like ‘body image’ or ‘food’ or even ‘water’, but Shouyou didn’t mind at all. His blog was meant to be a safe, happy place so it didn’t bother him to spend an extra three seconds to ensure that everyone who visited his blog site had a safe, fun experience. 

He might have been a tad bit of a people pleaser. Just a tad bit, though. 

“Oi, Hinata,” Shouyou looked up from the screen at the familiar sound of his best friend/roommate's voice. Kageyama stood at the entryway of the living room, leaning slightly against the wall. Shouyou arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at his raven-haired friend. Kageyama rolled his eyes before continuing on, “Kenma’s coming over tonight and...he…”

Shouyou grinned, looking up at him from his spot on the couch, “Yes, Kageyama-kun?”

“Do you want…”Kageyama was practically forcing the words out of his mouth, Shouyou could tell. And he found it hilarious. “To hang out with us?” 

“Aww, Kageyama-kun! I can’t believe it! You’re so sweet, inviting lil ol’ me to hang out with you and your booooyfriend.” Shouyou giggled so hard the sleeves of his pastel pink jumper fell down over the palms of his hands. Kageyama’s dark blue eyes were tightened in a glare that once upon a time (back in his first year in high school) he was afraid of. Now, though, the glare just seemed like an act of affection. A very twisted act of affection, but an act of affection nonetheless. 

“Shut up. Just, do you want to or not? Kenma said he’d bring one of his other friends over so that you don’t feel...ya know…”Kageyama trailed off, his hard glare falling to the floor.

“Woah! Woah! Woah! A friend? Who are they? Are they cute? Do they like kittens?What about video games? I mean, I would assume since they’re friends with Kenma, that yes, they do, but I can’t be too sure. And their hair! Is their hair nice? Kageyama, I really need to-” Shouyou rambled on endlessly before Kageyama stopped him. 

“I’ll tell Kenma you said yes.” Kageyama turned away from Shouyou and headed back to his bedroom, presumably to prep for his boyfriend coming over. Shouyou debated following him and barraging him with questions about Kenma’s friend, but he decided against it. If he did, Kageyama might get pissed off and retract the offer of hanging out with his boyfriend, too. Instead, Shouyou pulled his cellphone out of the waistband of his leggings and pulled up his messages. With minimal effort (he’d memorized the keyboard so he didn’t even really have to look at the screen anymore), he typed out a quick message.  
**TO Kenma:**  
Hey, whos ur friend? Also, when r u coming over? Reply ASAP or I’m blocking you on Twitter!!  <3

Within almost no time, Shouyou received a message back. Kenma told him that his friend’s name was Kuroo Tetsurou and that the two of them should be over in the next hour. Shouyou was about to tap out of his messages when he got another one from Kenma. This time, it was a screenshot of the Twitter app showing that @HappyHinata was blocked on Kenma’s account. Shouyou let out a rather odd sort of snort before texting Knema back. 

**TO Kenma:**  
Love you too bby  <3

Shouyou shifted his laptop to the coffee table in front of him before standing up and stretching his arms out wide, cracking his back in the process. The pastel sweater he wore flowed with his movements, giving him a small sense of self-satisfaction. He loved his clothes; they were pretty and even better than that, they made him feel pretty.  
With the hour that he had until Kenma and Kuroo were supposed to show up, he could do a lot of things. He could do his makeup and work on his winged eyeliner He could continue blogging, maybe even answer some of the asks that filled his inbox. Or he could even get started on the 15 page research essay he had to do for his American Literature class. Ha, as if. Shouyou headed to the bathroom to put all of his makeup on.  
Thirty minutes later and Shouyou looked at his face in the mirror. His eyeliner was a thin line of kohl black, winged almost perfectly. His skin looked almost flawless with the contour and concealing he’d done. And his lips were colored a light pink, just a shade darker than what was natural for him. And his hair was still messy, but it was a very kawaii kind of messy that Shouyou absolutely adored. Michelle Phan would be proud of his skills, he gloated to himself.  
He took out his phone, snapping a few selfies of himself in the pristine mirror above the bathroom sink. He took at least ten of them, each with different angles and funny faces before he decided to stop and finally choose a couple to post on his Tumblr. While Shouyou wasn’t the most confident in himself, he knew he looked good and he wasn’t afraid to show that off to all of his followers. Selecting the cutest two selfies, Shouyou tagged the post and added the caption ‘felt extra kawaii today so !! <3’ before tapping the ‘Post’ button.  
Shouyou spent the next forty five minutes or so until Kenma and Kuroo arrived picking up the apartment. He wasn’t really a messy person (he hadn’t been since his high school days)but sometimes he just forgot to pick up some of the small things, like the bottle of glittery pink nail polish he’d left on the kitchen table. Or the discarded jackets both he and Kageyama left scattered around, usually draped across the chairs or even the couch. Unsurprisingly, Kageyama had made sure he was ‘busy’ while Shouyou was doing this all. Asswipe, Shouyou thought to himself.  
The doorbell rang as Shouyou was finishing up folding the clean laundry he’d just washed. He dropped the pair of shorts he was folding into the basket of clothes and rushed to the front door. Kageyama stepped out of his room at the same time as Shouyou reached the front door. Before Kageyama had any time to say anything, Shouyou had already opened the door, revealing two guys. One was Kenma and the other Shouyou assumed had to have been the new friend, Kuroo. 

“Kenma!” Shouyou shouted out before pulling the other boy into a hug. Kenma muttered a ‘hey, Sho’ before pushing the over-excited ginger off of him. shouyou looked behind Kenma, practically gasping at the sight. Kuroo (or whoever this guy was) looked to be around the same age as (or maybe a bit older than) Shouyou himself. He had a smirk on his face, like he knew something that no one else did. His jet black hair swept down over his right eye and the colorful tattoos scattered up and down his arms were showcased by the sleeveless band t-shirt he wore. 

“Sho, this is Kuroo. Kuroo, this is Hinata. Be nice.” Kenma introduced the two lazily before sliding past Shouyou to greet his boyfriend. Kenma and Kageyama did their usual greeting of dragging each other to the couch and making out while Shouyou and Kuroo stood there, awkwardly looking at each other. It was silent too, minus the background noise of Kageyama telling Kenma how much he missed him. Then, Kuroo spoke up. 

“Has anyone ever told you how cute you are, Shrimpy-chan?” Kuroo smirked, winking at the shorter boy in front of him. 

Shouyou blushed at the compliment directed towards himself. An offhanded compliment like that was weird for the ginger boy, considering how he was only ever complimented by other guys when they were in the middle of bedroom activities (not to imply that there were a lot of those because lord knows Shouyou wasn’t that active.) Shouyou smiled at Kuroo before stepping aside to let him into the apartment, “Um, thanks? No one actually really says that so...yeah…”

Kuroo mumbled something that Shouyou couldn’t quite make out but it sounded like something along the lines of ‘adorable little shit.’ As Kuroo stepped into the apartment, Shouyou asked him if he wanted anything to drink. Kuroo smiled down at him again, a look Shouyou couldn’t quite decipher the meaning of on his face. Before Shouyou could ask him what that look was all about, Kuroo asked him if he had anything alcoholic. 

“Ah, sorry. Kageyama and I don’t drink. But we do have milk, tea, coffee, and apple juice, if you want any of that.” Shouyou watched the change in Kuroo’s facial expressions as he mentioned each of the drinks. Milk and coffee seemed to get a positive reaction while apple juice elicited a not quite negative yet not quite indifferent reaction. 

“Coffee would be great, Shrimpy-chan.” Shouyou ignored the creepy way Kuroo was looking at him and left to go make a pot of coffee. On his way to the kitchen, Shouyou called out that Kuroo could wait in the living room if he wanted. Shouyou brewed a pot of dark roast coffee, pouring it out into four different mugs. Shouyou looked at the four mugs and then at the mere two hands he had. Should he rush it and try to take all four at once? “Hey, Shrimpy-chan, need some help with that?” 

Shouyou looked up at the voice, seeing Kuroo leaning against the wall, his hands in the pocket of the black skinny jeans he wore. Without any internal debate, Shouyou accepted Kuroo’s offer for help carrying the mugs of coffee. He thanked the jet black haired boy before handing him two of the mugs. “And, um, just take them out to the living room, I suppose.” Shouyou smiled widely at him before grabbing the other two and following Kuroo out of the small kitchen, into the living room. Kenma and Kageyama sat on the couch, curled up in each other. Kenma’s head lay lazily on Kageyama’s shoulder as he told Kageyama about something Shouyou couldn’t quite hear. He liked them as a couple; they were insanely adorable together and both of their asocial personalities made them practically perfect for each other. 

“Aww, relationship goals.” Shouyou let out a giggle, setting one of the mugs on the coffee table before sitting down on the floor, leaving the lone armchair they had for Kuroo to sit in. As his Momma had always taught him, it was only polite to give the guest the best seat. Kuroo sat down in the chair, after putting his extra mug on the coffee table, too. 

“Your relationship goals are just to have a relationship, dumbass.” Kageyama made fun of Shouyou, with a light teasing tone. Kenma slapped his boyfriend’s arm lightly, telling him to be nice to Shouyou. Kageyama rolled his eyes at Kenma as he jokingly apologized to Shouyou. 

“Ah, whatevs. It’s true. I’m a hopeless romantic with no romantic life.” Shouyou sighed dramatically before sipping from the mug of black coffee in his hands. After a few minutes of awkwardly sitting there, wondering what they were going to do, Shouyou offered to put on Netflix. 

“Ugh! That’s so boring though! Why don’t we do something more fun?” Kuroo let out a groan, his head falling back against the back of the chair. 

“Well, what do you want to do, Kuroo?” Kenma gazed up at his friend with an inquiring look upon his face. 

“He probably just wants to go to the club again.” Kageyama muttered under his breath. 

“Oi! That was only one time! You can’t judge me for that forever!” Kuroo whined in a voice that was definitely not at all representative of the ‘punk rock’ vibe he gave off. Shouyou found that kind of awesome. 

“Wait, wait. What? You guys went out to a club together? When was this?” Shouyou pouted, jealous of this guy getting to go out with his two best friends when he wasn’t even invited. Granted, he hung out with his friends all the time without Kageyama, but he always invited him to come hang with them. It wasn’t his fault that Kageyama didn’t like people and never left the apartment. 

“A few weeks ago.”

“What the frickle frackle? Why wasn’t I invited?” 

“Yeah, why wasn’t Shrimpy-chan invited? I would have loved to seen him up at the club…” Kuroo trailed off, a creepy smirk on his face. 

“Stop being weird, Kuroo. But we did invite you, Sho. You said you had to work, though.” Kenma explained. A light came on in Shouyou’s brain as he remembered that night. It had been three weeks ago and he was all planned to go out that night, but then his boss called and told him four people had called off and that he needed to come in. Shouyou ended up working that night, only incredibly salty at the fact that he didn’t get to go out and party it up. 

Kuroo, sensing the awkwardness, spoke up, “Yo, we should go see the new Star Wars movie together.” 

“Ooh, Star Wars! Let’s do it!” Shouyou jumped up from his spot on the floor, practically bouncing up and down. 

“Do you wanna go see it, babe?” Kageyama asked Kenma quietly, his lips brushing across Kenma’s forehead. Shouyou watched as Kenma smiled up at his boyfriend while he answered with a louder ‘yeah’. Shouyou grinned in excitement and achievement as they all agreed on going to see the new Star Wars movie. 

“Yes! This is so great! Wait, what’s the next time the movie is showing?” Shouyou, without waiting for anyone to say anything, pulled out his cellphone and searched for the movie times. The next show, according to the website, started in half an hour, at 6 pm. Walking to the theater would only take ten minutes, so they definitely had time to make it there. “Next show’s in half an hour, so we should leave now.” 

After they’d all left, Kageyama and Kenma regretted inviting the other two guys to hang out with them. Shouyou was overly excited and energetic while Kuroo was busy ogling him in what he thought was an overt manner. Walking down the busy city streets was something that oculd be considered quite a task with those two in tow. 

Kageyama and Kenma held hands as they walked together, both trying to ignore the two idiots in front of them and focus on themselves. 

“Hey, Tobio?” Kenma started. 

“Yeah, babe? What’s up?” Kageyama looked down at his shorter boyfriend. 

“Would it be considered socially unacceptable to ditch those two?” 

“Ah, probably, yes, but we’re socially inept so how would we know if it was acceptable or not?” Kageyama smirked, a mischievous look in his eyes, just like back in high school when he and Hinata tried out a new quick for the first time in a game. 

“This is why I love you.” Kenma leaned up on his tippy toes to place a kiss on Kageyama’s cheek, causing the raven-haired boy to blush a shade of red darker than Kenma’s old high school volleyball uniform. Kenma thought it was adorable.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ahhh!!! That was so good!!!” Shouyou bounced up and down on the balls of his feet after the movie ended and he and kuroo were in the hallway of the theater, waiting for Kenma and Kageyama. The other two had decided that Kuroo and Shouyou were ‘too annoying’ to sit with in public (as Kageyama so nicely put it). Shouyou didn’t really care; The Force Awakens was _amazing._

“Yeah, I know, right? Honestly, Poe was so cool! Him and Finn are like the coolest of bros!” Kuroo grinned, adrenaline still rushing through his head from the excitement of the movie. Shouyou looked even more excited, his eyes wide and his pupils heavily dilated. The boy was so energetic all the time, Kuroo found it kind of cute but also weird. How did he have so much energy? And then, Kuroo remembered the coffee they’d drank together. It wasn’t decaf and he had no way of knowing if that was the only cup Shouyou had had, so he could rightfully assume that the energetic ball of pastel pink was due to intake of caffeine. _Good job,_ Kuroo thought to himself, _you’re practically a detective._

“Mm, yeah, Poe was awesome! But I loved Kylo Ren! He was so emo and honestly kind of hot.” Shouyou sighed dreamily, thinking of the dark haired villain from the movie. 

“You’re into the emo type?” Kuroo grinned at Shouyou, making the ginger boy blush, “You know, I’m kind of emo. Are you into me?” 

Shouyou, with his cheeks redder than Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, quickly changed the subject, “Ahh, do you think Kenma and Kageyama left? We’ve been waiting for over five minutes and they haven’t come out yet.” Just then, Shouyou felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of the waistband of his leggings, looking at all the notifications on the screen. Ignoring all of the ones from social media, Shouyou read the messages he had received. 

**FROM: Kags <3 **  
Don’t come back for a while or I will murder you in your sleep

 **FROM: Kenma**  
Hang out with Kuroo. Tobio and I need some alone time. 

“Eww, gross,” Shouyou crinkled his nose in disgust are reading those two messages. He didn’t need to (or want to, for that matter) known about his two best friends having sex with each other. Kuroo watched Shouyou, thinking to himself that the little nose wrinkle he just did was cute, just like him. 

“What’s gross, Shrimpy-chan?” 

“It’s Shouyou; that’s my name. But Kenma and Kageyama went back to the apartment to...have some alone time.” Shouyou shuddered at the thought of how his best friends were busy defiling his innocent apartment. 

“Aww, Kenma,” Kuroo wiped a fake tear from his eyes, “I didn’t know my baby boy had it in him.” Shouyou groaned, turning away from Kuroo. 

“That’s so gross, you pervert.” Shouyou rolled his eyes at the boy in front of him, “Well, I guess I’m gonna go. It was nice meeting you!” 

“What? You’re leaving? Where are you gonna go?” Kuroo tried to be subtle about it, but subtlety was not his cup of tea, obviously. He still wanted to hang out with Shouyou, maybe even get the cute boy’s number or something. _Not that he was interested in him or anything, hahaha, totally not._

“I was gonna go to the library, check out some books and start my American Literature essay, why?” 

“Come get dinner with me?” Kuroo smiled his most innocent smiled at the pastel boy in front of him. As per usual, Kuroo did his nervous habit thing of messing with his shaggy black hair. He’d been doing that since he was in elementary school so it was obvious to people who knew him that he was nervous. _But Shouyou didn’t know him,_ Kuroo reminded himself, _so he wouldn’t notice._

“Ah, well, I don’t really have enough money for food...haha.” Shouyou laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head as he smiled. 

“So? I’ll pay. I really don’t mind, Shouyou.” The way Kuroo said his name made his insides melt and feel all...gooey. It was a weird feeling, having someone he’d just met calling him by his given name. Wait, if Kuroo was calling him by his given name, did that mean that he should call him by _his_ given name?

“Should I call you Kuroo or Tetsurou?” Shouyou blurted out, his mouth moving faster than his brain could process. A light blush rose on his face as he realised what he’d just asked. He didn’t even answer Kuroo’s (Tetsurou’s?) question, just blurted out one of his own. _What an idiot. This is why Kageyama has him saved in his phone as ‘Dumbass’,_ Shouyou thought. 

“Call me whatever you want, Shouyou-kun.” Kuroo smiled and winked. 

And that was the moment Shouyou died. His heart gave out and Shouyou died right there inside the movie theater. 

Well, not really. 

“Haha, okay, Kuroo. Um, ya know, food sounds great right now.” Shouyou laughed halfheartedly, silently cursing himself for being so...awkward. He figured, though, that with food in his mouth he couldn’t possibly make any huge verbal blunder. 

“Great! There’s this place a few blocks from the library on campus, The Nest. Have you ever been there before?” Kuroo asked as they started to walk out of the movie theater. He held open the door for Shouyou, smile his wide, crocodile smile at the small ginger boy. 

“Thanks, Kuroo. Nah, I’ve never been there, but I think I heard some people talking about it in one of my classes. Is it nice? What about the food?” Shouyou rambled, as he always did when he was nervous. It was a bad habit, one that he’d picked up a long time ago that he just couldn’t drop. Everyone he’d ever been around had found his rambling annoying at some point and would throw all politeness out the window before telling him to stop. That was understandable, though; rambling did, in fact, get rather annoying rather quickly. 

“Their food is literally the most delicious stuff I have ever had,”Kuroo’s hand brushed against Shouyou’s, making the latter blush a light pink and slide a little further away. “Their, um, their beef udon is actually so amazing, I almost cried the first time I tried it.” 

“Oh, really? Is it that good or are you just hyping it up because you want me to like it?” Shouyou joked, looking over at Kuroo as they walked across the street together. Kuroo threw his head back in laughter, his eyes glinting with happiness. Shouyou and he talked as they made their way the next few blocks to the restaurant. The restaurant they stopped in front of had a sleek modern look, instantly drawing Shouyou in. A sign with an image of a bird’s nest with an owl, a crow, and a raven illustrated that this was The Nest. Kuroo lead Shouyou into the restaurant, a smile on his face. 

“Oi, Akaashi! Where’s Bokuto?” Kuroo grinned at one of the workers, a guy with short black hair and an unidentifiable expression on his face. Shouyou had no idea who either of the people Kuroo was talking about were and the confusion on his face was masked with the hunger he felt as he walked into the delightful smell of the restaurant. 

“Your boyfriend’s not here today, Kuroo.” The man, presumably Akaashi, spoke in a flat tone, devoid of almost all emotion except for a tad bit of annoyance. Shouyou stopped in the middle of his thought process. _Boyfriend? Kuroo had a boyfriend? Hadn’t he just been flirting with Shouyou? Maybe he was just like that with everyone and Shouyou shouldn’t have taken any of it seriously. Yeah, that was probably it,_ Shouyou reasoned. 

Kuroo led Shouyou over to an empty table, sitting across from him. Shouyou, busy trying to decide what he should order, was completely oblivious to the way Kuroo was staring at him. Just like Kenma had told him, nothing could distract Shouyou from food. Shouyou’s stomach was a bottomless lit, Kenma had said once. He’d described how one time they went to a buffet and Shouyou had gotten them kicked out because he ate so much food, they thought he was storing it all and just sneaking it out of the restaurant. Kuroo laughed at the thought of that, scaring Shouyou out of his food-induced trance. 

“Hmm? Did you say something, Kuroo-san?” _If this were an anime,_ Kuroo thought, _Shouyou’s smile would literally sparkle_ ; it was that cute. 

“Nothing, nothing at all, Shouyou-kun. Have you figured out what you’re going to get?” 

Kuroo and Shouyou were both ready to order when Akaashi came over to ask them. Shouyou got a bowl of beef udon (he had to make sure Kuroo wasn’t lying) while Kuroo ordered some pork curry. 

“You like pork curry?” Kuroo nodded, “That’s Kageyama’s favorite food. We’ve been friends since we started high school and I would go over to his house and his mom always made the best pork curry, like, ever.” 

“How did you and Kageyama ever even become friends? No offense, but you two don’t really seem like you would have...clicked.” 

“Ahh, yeah, we didn’t really, not at first. I was super annoying back in high school-I mean, I still kind of am now but it was a lot worse in high school- and Kageyama _hated_ me. I ended up hating him,too, after he kept ignoring me and calling me names behind my back. But then something happened, I guess, and we were suddenly best friends.” Shouyou smiled as he remembered how he and Kageyama had started to be BFFs- Best Bros Forever. 

“Ah, I think it was almost the same thing for Kenma and I, except I was the annoying one and I never really hated him back. He just frustrated me when he wouldn’t be my friend, ya know? Like there I was, offering myself up to be his best friend-actually, his _only_ friend at the time- and he couldn’t seem to care less.” 

Shouyou shook his head, grinning, “It’s no wonder those two are so perfect for each other.” 

The rest of their time in the restaurant was spent chowing down on some food (Shouyou found that Kuroo hadn’t, in fact, been lying when he said the beef udon was amazing) and talking to each other about themselves. Kuroo heard about the time Shouyou had almost been arrested at a party, but the police officer let him go because he thought ‘a nice young lady like you deserves a second chance.’ Kuroo told Shouyou about the band he was in during his high school years, The Trash Trio. It was really bad, he’d said, and they only played about five gigs before breaking up. 

After they’d finished eating, both of them still had the desire to hang around, get to know each other even better. Shouyou suggested they just walk around the city and talk to each other. Kuroo didn’t mind this and they left The Nest after he payed the bill and said goodbye to Akaashi (who looked happy that Kuroo and Shouyou were leaving.)

Shouyou and Kuroo wandered around casually, stopping in to shops that looked interesting. There was one shop in particular that seemed extra interesting to Shouyou, who was so enamored he drug Kuroo in without even asking if that was something he was comfortable in doing. The shop was small, but extra cute. It was filled with the cutest stuffed animals Shouyou had ever seen, good luck charms, and other small trinkets. Shouyou was in love with the abundance of pink in the shop and the way the dim lighting made everything so much more aesthetically pleasing. 

“Ooh, look at how cute this is, Kuroo-san!” Shouyou held up a light pink stuffed kitten (a fake one, not a real one; Shouyou could never stomach touching an actual dead animal.) The kitten, Kuroo thought, was actually cute. The look on Shouyou’s face-the pure, genuine smile and the twinkle of happiness in his warm brown eyes- was a much cuter sight, though. Kuroo wouldn’t really mind if he had to see that look everyday. 

“Yeah, it’s really cute,” Kuroo laughed, looking at the small ginger boy in front of him, “Do you want it?” 

“Do I-? No, no it’s okay! I’m alright, don’t need it!” Shouyou laughed nervously as he placed the stuffed animal back on the shelf, along with its brethren of various different colors.

“Ah, alright,” Kuroo made a mental note that Shouyou _did_ in fact want it. Maybe he would just have to come back and buy it later to give it to him as a gift. “Do you want to look at anything else, Shouyou-kun?” 

“Ah, no, I’m good. Is there anything you’d like to go look at? There’s a record store that specializes in rock music two blocks down if you wanna go there. I’ve only been once with my friend, Tadashi, because he had to get a birthday present for his boyfriend, but it seemed kind of cool.” Shouyou rambled, the words spilling out of his mouth like an overflowing sink. The two stepped out of the quaint store, into the bustling sidewalk lit by the streetlamps placed every so often. 

“I’d love to go there, if you don’t mind, Shouyou-ku”n. It seems like it’s not exactly your kind of place, so if you don’t want to go, that okay. I don’t wanna make you do something you don’t want to do.” 

“Are you saying you don’t think I’m into rock? Just because I wear pretty clothes?” Shouyou scoffed and shook his head in utter disbelief. “Wow.” 

“W-what? No, I just-you seem like you’d be into like, indie pop or something similar. That just seems like your...aesthetic?” Kuroo stopped himself, realizing how bad that had sounded. It sounded like he was basing his assumption off of how Shouyou looked and he really wasn’t doing that, but Shouyou couldn’t have known that. “Ahh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you or anything but I just kind of got that vibe from you and God, you probably think I’m some judgmental ass and-” Shouyou busted out into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

“Oh God, Oh my-” Shouyou clutched his stomach as he doubled over in intense laughter, “I w-hahah-wasn’t actually offended- ahahahaha- You fell for it! You should have seen your face!” 

“I hate you.” 

“Haha, your face was so hilarious! Gwahh, I wish I would have had my phone out! Snapchat would honestly love that so much!” Shouyou grinned at Kuroo, who had his face set in an emo put that Shouyou found to be even funnier than the whole trick-joke thing. Shouyou was so caught up in his laughter that he didn’t see the loose piece of sidewalk in front of him and tripped over it. He felt his stomach drop as his feet disappeared from underneath him. He didn’t have enough time to react and catch himself with his hands (he was already close to the ground, being less than 170 cm tall) and his face hit the ground with a crushing force. 

“Shit, Shouyou are you okay?” Kuroo crouched down to check on his friend ( a very new friend, but still a friend). The people near them didn’t stop, they just walked around Shouyou as he tried to get up. Kuroo helped him up, inspecting the boy for any injuries he might have had. His sweater was dirtied from the sidewalk and Shouyou was bleeding from his face. Blood trickled out of a wound on his cheek, dripping down his face and onto the pastel sweater he wore. 

“Ow, that hurt, like, a lot. Is my face okay?” 

“Shouyou, you’re literally bleeding. How do you not feel that?” Shouyou’s eyes widened in what Kuroo suspected was fear, so Kuroo went on to try to placate the boy’s fears. “It’s not that bad! Just a small scrape! You might have some pieces of sidewalk in there, but it’ll all be okay!” 

“Oh my God, I’m gonna die! This is the end!” Shouyou was dramatic when he was scared, Kuroo could tell from the way he was acting. He tried to help alleviate his fears but he wasn’t very successful. Shouyou continued to ramble on about his worries (was he dead already? what if he was in a coma and this was all a dream?) while Kuroo led him back to Shouyou’s apartment. All thoughts of why they were even out together blew past his active attention and the thought of making sure Shouyou was alright was put in its place. 

“Hey, Shouyou, babe, do you have your keys?” Kuroo mentally scolded himself for the use of babe, but Shouyou didn’t even seem to hear that part as they stood in front of his apartment door. Shouyou snapped out of his worry trance, his face still bleeding onto his sweater. 

“Oh, we don’t lock it.” Shouyou twisted the doorknob, grinning as it opened without a problem. “Thanks for bringing me back and, uh, sorry if I was weird. I kind of get that way around blood and being in pain and all that.” Shouyou blushed a shade of light pink that Kuroo found adorable. 

“Hey, don’t apologize, it’s okay. Do you need me to help you clean that up?” Kuroo indicated towards the shallow wound on Shouyou’s face, his eyes filled with concern for the younger boy. Kuroo had seen his fair share of injuries in his time (banding got kind of dangerous when you had to lug heavy instruments around in the darkness of the streets at 3 a.m.) and he knew that Shouyou’s wasn’t serious at all, but the logical part of his brain wasn’t functioning properly and he couldn’t comprehend that very well. 

“Oh, um, I think I’ll be okay. Well, thanks for everything, I guess. I’ll see you later.” Shouyou smiled, waved goodbye, and stepped into the apartment. Just as he was about to close the door, Kuroo stopped him. 

“Oi, wait, Shouyou-kun.” Shouyou turned back around, facing Kuroo again. He let out a simple ‘yeah?’, prompting Kuroo to continue on, “Hey, you forgot to give me your phone number.” 

“Oh! Yeah! Here, gimme your phone,” Shouyou took the outstretched phone from Kuroo’s hands, his fingertips brushing against Kuroo’s. With a blush on his face, Shouyou entered his phone number into the ‘new contact’ slot before editing the name and typing in ‘Shouyou’ with a few emojis he thought described himself pretty well. He handed the phone back to Kuroo, “Here you go. Text me sometime, yeah?” 

“Of course I will. Now, go get that cleaned up.” Kuroo smirked, walking away from the apartment door. 

“What a smug jerk.” Shouyou laughed, shaking his head as he stepped all the way into the apartment and closed the door. The lights were on in the living room, but he didn’t see anyone, so he made his way to the bathroom. Looking down at himself, he saw the blood over the front of his cute new sweater and almost cried. Blood stains were really difficult to get out, especially from such a light fabric as this was. He’d probably have to throw it out and buy a new one, which he couldn’t really afford to do. Yikes. 

“Why do you have blood all over you, Shouyou?” A voice came from behind him, scaring him half out of his wits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how'd you like the second chapter? Was it what you expected/hoped for? Tell me in the comments! You can even give me suggestions for what you think I need to work on, or what you'd like to see happen in the story! Also, I'm planning on updating this story at least once a week (most likely on the weekends) but it all depends on what my coursework is like. 
> 
> FYI, I made a real blog for [ Hinata ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/). If you want to follow it, that'd be cool. 
> 
> Until next week,   
> Val <3


	3. Chapter 3

“Geez, Kageyama, don’t sneak up on a guy like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Shouyou’s hand grasped at his chest, where he still felt his heart beating rapidly. Kageyama, as Shouyou viewed through the mirror, was standing behind him clad in only his sweatpants and the glare he almost always wore (with the exception of when he was with Kenma and when he was playing volleyball.) 

“Did it happen again?” Kageyama’s voice was softer this time, his glare still prevalent in the way he was looking at Shouyou. 

“No, no. It was nothing like that, I just tripped, Kageyama.” Shouyou turned around, smiling at the black haired boy, “I’m fine! Just need to get it cleaned up!” 

“You know, if Kuroo...did anything, you don’t have to be wary of saying something just because he’s Kenma’s friend.” _You’re more important to me than him,_ was unspoken, but Shouyou knew that was what Kageyama wanted to say, what he would have said if he didn’t have that fear of being too awkward and unliked. Shouyou liked that about Kageyama, though; he never had to say anything, really, and Shouyou felt better with just his presence. 

“I know that, Kageyama, but I swear, it was just a piece of loose sidewalk.” _Thank you for caring._ “Now, go back to your boyfriend. I can take care of myself.”

“Sure you can, moron.” Kageyama shook his head, walking out of the doorway to the bathroom and back to his room. 

Shouyou pulled the sweater he’d been wearing off and quickly soaked it in cold water from the faucet. He’d been experienced enough to know what to do when blood got in his clothing and cold water sometimes helped to get it out, if it was still fresh (which, most of it was, in this case.) Once his sweater was soaking, Shouyou pulled the first aid kit out from underneath the bathroom sink. He pulled the bottle of antiseptic from the bottom of the box and poured some directly on his wound. It sizzled and stung Shouyou, making him whimper out, but it cleaned out the wound so there was no possibility of infection, which would have been ten times as painful, so Shouyou didn’t really mind. After the scrape was completely cleaned out, Shouyou placed some antibiotic ointment on it before covering the larger scrape up with three of the Hello Kitty bandages they had in the kit. Just as he was placing the third bandage, his phone chirped. 

**FROM: unknown number**  
HEY SHOUYOU ARE YOU OKAY?

**FROM: unknown number**  
THIS IS KUROO BTW

Shouyou smiled down at his phone, thinking about how cute it was that Kuroo actually cared enough to text him almost immediately and ask how he was doing. He has a boyfriend, Shouyou reminded himself, it doesn’t mean anything. Shouyou saved Kuroo’s number into his list of contacts before replying. 

**TO: Kuroo**  
Haha yeah im good! All bandaged up lol 

Shouyou wrung out his sweater, then drained out the sink and hung the sweater up on the towel rack to dry. He flipped the light switch off in the bathroom and silently crept to his bedroom. The room was pitch black when he entered and he had to fumble his fingers around the wall, searching for the light switch. Finally, he found it and in seconds the room was illuminated in a soft yellow light. 

Everything was just as he’d left it; the queen size bed he owned was still perfectly made, with the pink cotton sheets tucked neatly into the corners, and his pajamas were still spread out across the dresser to the left of the bed. Shouyou stripped out of his leggings and underwear, pulling off his white trainers along with them. He quickly slipped on the tank top and short set he wore to bed before climbing in, wrapping himself in the blankets. Just before he lost consciousness, Shouyou felt his phone beep. 

**FROM: Kuroo**  
That’s great! You know, I really had fun hanging out with you today, wanna do it again sometime?

The next morning, Shouyou replied with a simple ‘haha that would be awesome!’ and way too many emojis. He walked from his bedroom out to the empty kitchen. It was only 7 a.m. so neither Kageyama nor Kenma would be up for a few more hours. Shouyou, while he hated feeling lonely, had no qualms about being alone. It was rather relaxing, he thought. There were no sounds to startle you, no one to worry about seeing you do something embarrassing, there was no one there that could judge him. The silence was comforting, he decided as he made himself a cup of coffee. His morning cup of coffee was always black, as it was used to wake him up, not for his own enjoyment. Later on in the day, when he had more coffee to drink, he would add flavored creamer and sugar. Speaking of sugar, Shouyou looked down at his phone and saw he had a text from his friend, Suga. 

**FROM: Suga Momma**  
Hey! Wanna come get breakfast with Daichi and me? 

**TO: Suga Momma**   
yah! when and where? 

**FROM: Suga Momma**  
Ukai’s place, 8 o’clock? 

**TO: Suga Momma**  
see you two then!!!  <3 

Shouyou jumped up from his seat in the kitchen, placed his mug in the sink, and walked back to his room. If Suga and Daichi were wanting to meet in around half an hour, Shouyou would need to quickly shower and just throw on some clothes. He wouldn’t have time for his normal routine of putting on makeup and making sure his outfit was on point. SO, Shouyou made the most of his time that he did have and he quickly hopped in the shower, washing himself with the sakura shower gel he had. Then, once he was done, Shouyou dried himself off and quickly threw on a pair of light blue skinny jeans and one his comfy sweatshirts with a very convenient pocket in the front for his phone and his wallet. 

“Sho? Where are you going?” Kenma called from the doorway of Kageyama’s room as Shouyou walked towards the front door. He turned around, facing Kenma with a surprised grin on his face. 

“Hey Kenma! Good morning! I’m just heading out to get breakfast with Suga and Daichi. Want me to bring you anything back?” Shouyou looked at Kenma, eyes wide and happy. Kenma shook his head, his blond-ish hair falling into his eyes. “Ah, okay! Well, I should be back in a little bit! See ya later!” 

Shouyou waved goodbye before walking out the door, his sneaker clad feet padding against the sidewalk as he walked down to Ukai’s place. Ukai was one of the volleyball coaches at the University, but he also took over his mother’s restaurant when she passed away. Ukai was older than them (probably in his mid to late 40’s but no one really knew for sure). Ukai’s place was where Shouyou’s group of friends met up and hung out together. The food, while it didn’t necessarily taste the best, was cheap and quick and the atmosphere of the restaurant was private, yet relaxed. Shouyou loved it. 

“Shouyou! Over here!” Suga waved him over excitedly as he entered the restaurant. Suga and Daichi sat in a corner booth towards the back of the restaurant, secluded from the rest of the restaurant. A few other people lingered in the tables near the front, talking quietly amongst each other. Shouyou made his way through the maze of tables and chairs, towards his friends. Daichi and Suga shared a side of the booth, Daichi’s long arms strung across Suga’s shoulder. The two of them were insanely cute together. They’d been dating for years now, ever since high school, and were as happy as anyone could ever be. They were basically married, so Shouyou called them his Mom and Dad. 

“What’s up, Suga Momma? Dadchi?” Shouyou grinned as he slid into the seat across from them. 

“Shouyou, what happened to your face?” Daichi asked in his deep dad voice. Suga nudged him, telling him to be nicer about things like that before asking in a more polite voice, ‘Sho, do you want to tell us why you have bandaids all over your face?’ _See? Perfect mom and dad, honestly._

“So, I was out with Kenma, Kageyama, and Kuroo- wow that’s a lot of Ks- and we went and saw Star Wars but Kenma and Kageyama ditched us so Kuroo and I were hanging out and I think he was flirting with me, ya know? But probably not, considering he has a boyfriend and Kuroo and I were walking around and I was all ‘hahhahaha!’ because Kuroo’s face was really funny but then I was all ‘gwahhhhh!!!!’ and I fell face forward onto the sidewalk and I scraped my face up pretty badly. There was a lot of blood that set in on my sweater so I think I’m gonna have to throw it away now.” Shouyou blurted out quickly, his hands moving rapidly along with his mouth as he explained to Daichi and Suga _all_ of what had happened last night. Suga and Daichi, used to how quickly Shouyou talked and how off topic it usually was, listened to him. 

“Was the new Star Wars movie any good?” 

“Daichi!” Suga elbowed his boyfriend, rolling his eyes in annoyance, “That’s not what’s important!” Suga looked Shouyou in the eyes, his voice serious, “Who is Kuroo? And what were you doing with him? Do we need to get you condoms?” 

“Oh my God.” Shouyou’s face burned bright red as he looked around, making sure no one had heard what Suga had just said. Everyone remotely close to him looked relatively normal, so they hadn’t heard it. Even with this deduction, Shouyou was still embarrassed. Why would Suga say something like that? Shouyou didn’t even like Kuroo like _that._ Heck, he hadn’t even known the guy for twenty four hours, he couldn’t even have an opinion on him yet. “That’s so gross! I just met him!” 

Suga laughed, smiling innocently at Shouyou, “It’s better to be safe rather than sorry. But anyway, you still need to tell us about him. We’re curious, right, Daichi?” Daichi laughed and agreed with Suga, a smile on his face as he looked at the man he was deeply in love with. 

“Ugh, fine. So, he’s Kenma’s best friend-“ 

“Kageyama’s boyfriend, Kenma?” 

“Yeah, that’s the one. I think he’s around your age? I’m not very sure. But he goes to uni here and he’s majoring in music and music production. He was in this band when he was younger. He’s into a lot of different things, but music is, like, his big thing?” Shouyou shrugged, unsure of quite how else to describe him. He didn’t know much about Kuroo himself, so how could he describe him to someone else? 

“Aww, our little Shouyou is in love, Daichi. How kawaii!!” Suga cooed, making a heart sign with his hands. 

Daichi laughed, a loud boisterous laugh that Shouyou was pretty sure other people in the restaurant had heard. “They grow up so fast, don’t they, Suga?” 

“Haha, where’s Ukai when you need him?” Shouyou mumbled under his breath just as the older blond walked up to their table. Ukai was a lot taller than Shouyou (there weren’t many people who were shorter than Shouyou, honestly) and had spiky blond hair that was pushed back by a headband. Ukai had on his signature look of ‘I don’t really care about any of this’ as he started to speak up, asking the trio what they wanted to drink and if they were ready to order their food. 

“The usual for you, Shouyou?” Ukai asked, his eyebrow raised curiously. Shouyou’s usual was tamago kake gohan with a cup of fresh coffee, three sugars, and two creams. Shouyou silently debated over it for a moment before nodding. That should be fine for him and if he was hungrier, he could always go back to his apartment and make some food there. They should have enough food back at the apartment to last for the next week or so, since Kageyama was supposed to have gone to the grocery two days ago. Shouyou couldn’t quite recall if he actually had or not, but Kageyama was and had always been a reliable person, so it was safe to assume that he had done it. Once Ukai left with all of their orders, the questions started back up again. 

“Are you gonna ask him out for a first date, Shouyou? Or was your night last night your first date?” Suga wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, effectively creeping Shouyou out. 

“I don’t even like him like that.” Shouyou groaned, mumbling under his breath. “Plus, he has a boyfriend.” 

“Love is love, Shouyou, you’ve gotta chase it or else it might run away and you won’t ever find it again.” Daichi leaned over to kiss Suga, his hand cupping the other boy’s cheek lightly. Shouyou, looking at the kiss from the outside, thought it was cute. It was one of those kisses where you could just tell how much they loved each other, how important they were to one another. Shouyou longed for that kind of kiss. 

“Some people are trying to eat here, you perverts.” Shouyou joked, even though he didn’t really mind. It was one thing for the couple to just softy kiss like that, to show their affection for each other. It would have been completely different if they had been disgusting about it (shoving their tongues down each other’s throats, making obscene noises, etc.). 

Daichi pulled away from Suga and chuckled, looking at Shouyou now, “What? Like you’ve never seen your parents kiss before?” 

“Oh please dear God no, I don’t need that image in my mind, Dadchi. That’s so…ughhh” Shouyou cringed. The two across from him just laughed at his discomfort. Shouyou was always so fun to tease; he had been since they’d known him. After that, they talked about school and who was taking what classes and how those classes had been so far (it was still too early in the semester to determine just exactly how the classes were). When they got their food, Shouyou practically devoured his, as if he were a man who hadn’t eaten in days. Suga and Daichi (as the ever amazing surrogate parents that they were) offered to get Shouyou another serving, but he politely declined them. 

Shouyou was listening to Daichi tell him about his student teaching at one of the local elementary schools when he heard his phone go off. His ringtone was the opening to one of his favorite anime and it was the one he’d set specifically for Kageyama. “Ahh, I’ve gotta take this. It’s Kageyama. Excuse me for a minute.” Shouyou stood up from his seat and walked to the bathroom to answer the phone. He slid the green button over to the right as he closed the bathroom door. “Hello?” 

“Sho, can you get some milk? And also bread? You and Tobio don’t have any more at the apartment.” Kenma’s voice came over the phone. 

“Kenma? Why are you calling from Kageyama’s phone?” Shouyou looked at himself in the bathroom mirror as he replied over the phone. His face looked kind of weird, plastered with Hello Kitty band aids, but other than that, he didn’t look too bad for not having even put makeup on that morning. 

“I’m playing Love Live on mine. So, will you do it? Please?” Faintly, Shouyou could hear the sound of Aishiteru Banzai! being played in the background (it was Shouyou’s favorite song, so of course he would be able to recognize it). 

“Yeah, do you need me to get anything else?” 

“No, that’s good. Thanks, Sho. Bye.” Kenma hung up before Shouyou could reply. He stared down at the cellphone in his hands for a moment before walking out of the bathroom. He would probably need to leave now if he wanted to get to the store and get back home before his Calculus class started. Shouyou walked back up to the booth where Daichi and Suga were sitting. 

“Hey, Shouyou, is everything alright with Kageyama?” Suga asked as he saw the ginger boy came back to the table. 

“Oh yeah! Everything is fine! But I have to go pick up some groceries before class, so I should probably leave now. Thanks for inviting me though! Sorry I had to cut it short!” Shouyou pulled out his wallet and set a few bills down on the table, “This should cover it. See you guys later!” 

“Oi! Where do you think you’re going without giving Suga Momma a hug?” Suga pulled Shouyou back as he turned to leave. Suga stood up and pulled the shorter boy into his chest, wrapping his arms around Shouyou, “Take care of yourself, okay, kiddo? And don’t be afraid to call, no matter what it’s about or when it is. We’ll always be here for you, Shouyou.” 

Shouyou felt Daichi wrap his arms around the two of them, making it a sort of family hug. The hug was so nice and comforting, Shouyou almost cried. Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen his real parents in a few months or maybe it was just because he loved these two so much; whatever it was, Shouyou knew he was grateful to these two for being there for him, no matter what. Shouyou hugged them back. 

“Thanks, Suga Momma, Dadchi,” Shouyou pulled away from the two of him, his brown eyes watery, “I’ll call you guys soon! Bye!” 

As Shouyou walked out of the restaurant, he started thinking about his real parents. Not seeing them meant that he also hadn’t seen his little sister, Natsu, and that seriously affected him mentally. He should probably go back home for the next weekend he had off from university. He knew Kenma and Kageyama were going back to Kenma’s the next weekend, so he would have the apartment all to himself. Maybe it would be better to just invite his family here? They had been saying they wanted to see his place… Shouyou pulled out his phone as he walked, typing out a message to his mom. 

**TO: Mommy <3**  
hey, are you guys busy next weekend? 

After he hit send, Shouyou was tucking his phone back into his pocket when he hit something and was knocked off balance. A sense of déjà vu came over Shouyou as he felt himself falling down to the ground, unable to stop himself yet again. Except this time, he never hit the sidewalk. Instead, he felt the arms of some stranger holding him up. 

“Woah, Chibi-chan, are you okay?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will (hopefully) be updating this weekend, too. Also, I made a blog for [ Kuroo ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/) and also here is [ Hinata's ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/) if you missed it last chapter. And jsyk, if you ever want to talk to me about this story or anything, you can always message me on either blog and I will reply pretty quickly. 
> 
> Until next time,  
> Val <3


	4. Chapter 4

Shouyou looked up, his eyes meeting the dark brown eyes of the guy who had caught him and kept him from slamming his face on the concrete. He had messy brown hair, his bangs falling right above his eyes. He was cute and he gave off an air of cockiness and self-importance and Shouyou’s small, gay heart was beating rapidly. “You’re hot.” 

_Did he just say that? There’s no way he actually said that. Why would he do that?_

The Grand King-Shouyou had started calling him as such inside his head- grinned, showing off his pearly white teeth and perfectly straight smile. “Right back at you, Chibi-chan.” And then the Grand King had the audacity to _wink_ at Shouyou. The latter’s cheeks heated up as they changed from their usual pale to a shade of red that rivaled the color of an apple. Why did he always get so embarrassed when people winked at him? It was becoming quite a dilemma, he was sure. 

“R-right,” Shouyou wiggled out of the man’s grasp, righting himself immediately, “Well, thanks for saving me, but ya know, I gotta go. Hahahaha.” Shouyou laughed nervously, looking at the empty expanse of sidewalk behind the Grand King, praying for freedom from this awful social awkwardness. _Oh, if only he hadn’t been so clumsy…_

“Hey, wait! What’s your name?” 

“Hinata.” Shouyou wasn’t going to give this stranger his given name. How stupid would that be? For all he knew, this guy was a serial killer/rapist/identity thief. Maybe a combination of all three, too. Giving the Grand King his family name, though, wouldn’t be that bad. There were plenty of people with that name and if this guy searched it up, he’d probably just find Hinata Hyuuga, from that Naruto anime. He was completely safe.  
“I’m Oikawa, try not to fall for me again, yeah?” Then, before Shouyou could say anything else, the Grand King- Oikawa, apparently- winked once more and walked past Shouyou. He stood there for a few moments, trying to register what had just happened before he gave up on it. He turned on his heel and made his way to the corner mart. Milk and bread, right? That was all he needed to get before he could go back home, blog for a little bit, and then go to class. Shouyou entered the shop, picking up what Kenma had asked him for before picking up some Pocky and canned coffee for himself. He most likely wasn’t going to sleep tonight anyway, so it wasn’t like the caffeine would mess up his circadian rhythm or anything. 

“Here’s your change! Have a nice day ma- sir!” The girl working the checkout smiled sheepishly at him. Shouyou just smiled widely back her before wishing her a good day, too. Then, he walked out of the store, a plastic shopping bag swinging from his fingertips. On his walk back home, Shouyou thought about Kuroo. It was nearing eleven and he hadn’t texted Shouyou back. Was he still sleeping? Shouyou began wandering what his sleeping face would look like. It’d probably still hold that seraphic smirk of his, the one that made Shouyou question his morals sometimes. Shouyou imagined that Kuroo was a snorer; not a loud, annoying snorer but more of a light, adorable snore that somehow Shouyou wouldn’t mind waking up to in the middle of the night. Kuroo’s hair would be adorably mushed against the pillow, his arms wrapped around- _No, he needed to stop this right then and there. Kuroo had a boyfriend. He was totally and completely off-limits._

Shouyou cleared his head of all thoughts of Kuroo before he got to his apartment building. He pushed the door to his apartment open with his free hand, cringing as the door creaked. He should probably call Tanaka and ask him to come over to take a look at the door and hopefully fix whatever was making that god awful noise. Neither he nor Kageyama were good with handy stuff like that. Kenma might be, but he was just too lazy and couldn’t care about something as small as a creaking door.

“Sho? Is that you? Do you need help?” He heard Kenma call out as he walked into the apartment. The familiar scent of home (basically the scent of all the flowery candles he had spread around the apartment) greeted him as he walked into the kitchen. He set the bag down on the counter before calling back to Kenma, “I’ve got it, thanks.” 

Shouyou took the few groceries he’d gotten out of the bag and put them away neatly. He kept the two boxes of pocky he’d picked up and brought them with him into the living room, along with his canned coffee. Kenma and Kageyama laid on the couch together, Kenma wrapped in Kageyama’s arms as he played what Shouyou assumed to be Love Live. _There must be an even going on right now,_ Shouyou thought to himself as he sat down in the armchair. The moment his body hit the soft cushioning of the chair, he sighed in happiness. Being home was such a nice feeling. 

“Oi, Hinata, did you get my milk?” Kageyama looked away from his boyfriend for a few seconds, his blue eyes lingering on Shouyou’s bandage-covered cheek. 

 

“Mmm, yeah.” Shouyou opened his box of strawberry Pocky, taking a piece out and eating it. God, he loved Pocky. It was always so delicious and the strawberry coating almost perfectly fit in with his aesthetic: pastel pink. 

“Sho-chan?” Shouyou heard as he started in on his second piece. He looked up, seeing Kenma with one of the weirdest puppy-dog pouts he’d ever seen. “Gimme some Pocky?” 

“Get your own.” 

“But I’m too lazy. Please? I’ll let you beat me at Smash Bros again!” 

“Fine.” Shouyou tossed his other box over to the couple. It hit Kageyama in the face, making Shouyou grin, just barely able to hold in his laughter. “Now I’m gonna have to go buy more after class.”

“Boo hoo,” Kageyama glared at the ginger boy, still rubbing his face from where Shouyou hit it “No one cares.” 

Kenma elbowed his boyfriend, causing the raven haired boy to let out a groan, “Thanks, Sho. Tobio will pay you back, won’t you, _honey?_ ” 

“Like hell I will,” Kageyama scoffed before Kenma looked at him in a way that wasn’t necessarily annoyance or anger or really anything at all before Kageyama change his mind, “Ugh, fine, I will.” 

“Whipped,” Shouyou giggled, pulling out his phone. He had a message from his mom and also a message from Tumblr. Without really reading either notification, he opened up the one from his mom. 

**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
No, do you need something, Shouyou?

**TO: Mommy <3 **  
I was wondering if you, dad and natsu wanted to come visit? 

Shouyou sent the message, a nervous smile on his face. None of his family had yet visited his apartment and the prospect of them doing so was a little nerve-wracking. At the same time, though, it was incredibly exciting. He couldn’t wait to show Natsu the cool park just a few blocks down where a lot of people hung out and played pick-up games of volleyball and basketball. His mom would love the flower shop near the school that sold the best flowers all year round. His dad would love the museum that housed different war memorabilia from the past couple of centuries. It would be fun, Shouyou thought. 

Shouyou opened up the Tumblr app next, going directly to his inbox. The page took forever to load, making the ginger boy groan in disgust. _Oh how he hated Tumblr mobile_. After what felt like an hour (it was actually only a minute, but Shouyou was impatient), the page finally loaded and he saw the message he’d gotten:  
**Anonymous asked:  
I just saw your selfie and wow!!! You are so cute!!!!! How do you accomplish that level of cute?! Btw you are goals af ngl **

Shouyou blushed, a sheepish giggle escaping his lips. Compliments weren’t something that he was very used to so whenever he got one, it meant a lot to him. This was why he loved Tumblr. People that didn’t even know him were nice to him and they were there for him and sometimes that made his terrible days 100 times better than before. His mind rushing with endorphins, he typed out a response, using many an exclamation point and many compliments to the anon. 

**shouyouthesmallgiant answered:  
Ahhhhh!!!!!! This is so cute!!!!! Thank you so much!!! I love you!!! You’re the best!!! You’re so cute and nice and amazing!!! I hope you have a great day!!!**

Shouyou made sure to publicly answer the ask before going to his dashboard. After a few seconds of loading, he was met with the pretty pastel colors he loved so much. He reblogged a few of those cute pastel pink edits that basically said ‘you’re awesome!’ Those were his favorite because he loved to see people supporting each other, no matter their race, gender, sexuality, etc. They were just there for each other and that was beautiful.  
Shouyou got caught up in a world of glittering aesthetics, filled with pictures of sakura blossoms, cute clothes, and even cuter people. His mind wasn’t focused on anything other than the posts on his dash. Somehow, he even managed to block out the sound of Kageyama and Kenma making out to the left of him. It was a good thing, too, because he’d just eaten and seeing your two best friends making out with each other would make anyone want to empty the contents of their stomachs. 

“Hinata, don’t you have to be in class in, like, five minutes?” Kageyama’s voiced brought him out of his mind, into the world of harsh reality where he had five minutes to sprint to his class. Muttering curses under his breath, Shouyou quickly shoved his phone in his pocket, jumped up, and grabbed his backpack from the entryway. He slung one strap over his right shoulder, leaving the other dangling. _God, he was so screwed_

“Bye!!” He called before sprinting out of the apartment, the door slamming shut behind him. 

“Tobio, you’re so mean to poor Sho. What did he ever do to you?” Kenma chastised his boyfriend as he looked at the time on his phone. 12:30. Shouyou’s class didn’t start until 1:00. 

Kageyama smirked, “C’mon, _honey_ , don’t you wanna… _practice receives?_ ” He pressed his lips against Kenma's, pushing their bodies closer together than they had been. _Damn,_ Kenma thought, _this guy is such a dork, but he's my dork._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh I'm so sorry this is so late and super short and its basically just filler!!! I've had a lot of school work and then my laptop broke!!! I'm gonna say I hope to have a longer, better chapter this weekend but I cannot promise it will be this weekend!! 
> 
> Remember! You can message me at either of these and I'll respond!!  
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Hasta luego,  
> Val <3


	5. Chapter 5

Five minutes later, Shouyou was cussing out his best friend/roommate and panting heavily after having run halfway across campus to his class. It was only a little after 12:35 and his class didn’t start until 1:00 pm. Kageyama was a frickin’ jerk and he was so gonna fight him the next time he saw him.Shouyou sat down on the bench outside of the classroom, pulling out his phone, which was only at 67%. He prayed it would last until he got out of his next class and started playing on it. _Campus wifi blew,_ he thought as he waited for his phone to connect to it. As soon as the little check mark appeared next to the name of the campus’s wifi, Shouyou grinned. He pulled up the messaging app and typed one out to Kageyama, his blood boiling. 

**TO: Kags <3 **  
I’m literally going to fight you when I get back. Be prepared. 

And for good measure, he even added an angry face emoji before sending it to him. As he pressed send, he got a message from Kuroo. He opened the thread containing their (minimal) conversation and laughed softly, his anger at Kageyama subsiding. _God, Kuroo was the best,_ he wasn’t gonna lie. 

**FROM: Kuroo**  
Oi, Shouyou-kun! How’s your face? Still as gorgeous as ever? 

Feeling daring, Shouyou pulled up his camera, angling it so that the photo got the side of his face still plastered with the three Hello Kitty bandaids. He snapped a picture, making sure that he looked at least somewhat cute (although, the Grand King had said he was hot, so maybe that would be a better word to use?) before sending it to Kuroo with the caption ‘haha you tell me Kuroo-san!’ along with three winking emojis. He was feeling kind of flirty, but almost immediately regretted it. _Boyfriend_ , he reminded himself, _Kuroo has a boyfriend._  


He blogged for a little while, setting up a queue for the next few hours until he was out of class and would be able to update again. As he was about to close out of the Tumblr app, Shouyou got a message.  


**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
Ooh, you’re inviting us out? How unusual, Sho! Your dad and I will talk about it in a few and we’ll get back to you. 

**TO: Mommy <3 **  
Okay! Thanks Mom!  


Shouyou looked at the time and saw that now he actually did have minutes before class started. He shut his phone off, tucking it into his backpack before getting up and entering his classroom. He sat down in his usual seat: the middle row, slightly towards the end center of that row, but closer to the end. He found that most of the professors tended to not like those who sat in the far back and thought those who sat in the very front were just trying to be the teacher’s pet. So, his first semester, he started to sit in the same seat in every class. His theory had worked out pretty well with him, as he always seemed to be able to get extensions or extra credit whenever he asked for them.  
Shouyou took out his notebook, flipping to the next empty page. He grabbed one of his pens and set it on top of the notebook, prepared to write. Calculus was a little rough for him, as he wasn’t very mathematically inclined, so making sure to take notes properly was essential in maintaining his grade. Seconds later, his professor walked in the room, prompting those who were talking to finally quiet down. Almost immediately, the professor started in on that day’s lesson: derivatives. 

“Homework tonight is to do all the problems on page 216 in your textbooks. I will be grading based on accuracy, not simply completion, as you might have had in your high school years. You are all adults now and I will hold you to that level of responsibility.” An hour later, his Professor stopped the lecture, dismissing the class.  
Shouyou gathered all his things together neatly in his backpack. He slid his pen into the small, thin pocket of his backpack and zipped up the larger pocket it was inside of. He slung the bag over his shoulder, heading out of the classroom. Doing all of those problems for homework was honestly going to be hell and he really didn’t want to do it, but he would have to if he wanted to pass the class.  


He pulled out his wallet as he made his way to the vending machine. He grabbed a couple of yen and inserted it into the machine before pressing the glowing button indicating ‘Strawberry milk.’ He’d had plenty of coffee already, probably to the point where it was really unhealthy so switching to the non-caffeinated drink would be the best option for himself. Shouyou grabbed the box of milk, sticking the straw in it and sipping. As the liquid trickled down his throat, he let out a small noise of pleasure. Strawberry milk was one of the most delicious things he’d ever drank.  


He finished off the milk, putting it into the recycling before walking down the commons to the next building that his Creative Writing 101 class was in. His next class was honestly his favorite, with Ukai’s boyfriend, Takeda-sensei. It wasn’t only because he knew the professor sort of well, but the class was fun and he loved to write. He got the chance to express himself and what he loves and no one could judge him for that. He always felt like he could fly when he was writing; there were no boundaries and there was no one there to judge him. He felt _free_ It was a feeling that he loved quite possibly more than anything in the world.

“Good afternoon, class. Today we are going to dive right into the topic of fictional short stories. Now, can anyone tell me what three parts every story consists of?” Takeda started off class, walking around in the large space between the seats and his desk. Shouyou looked around at his classmates, seeing blank stares and kids that were still half-asleep even though it was well into the afternoon. Did no one actually know this? He’d heard this same question dozens of times in movies and books where the main character is in a writing class. It was so cliché that Shouyou found it a little bit funny. “No one knows? How about you, Hinata?” 

“Well every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but isn’t that a little obvious of a thing to say? Everyone knows that already. It’s like saying ‘what does every sandwich have’ and the answer being ‘ingredients.’” Shouyou spoke up, his voice soft but still able to be heard. He wasn’t the biggest fan of speaking up in class, because he was usually wrong on everything and it was one thing for people to think that he could be stupid but it was completely different for them to _know_ that he was stupid. 

“That’s a very good point, Hinata,” Takeda smiled, making the younger boy look down at his notebook in a sort of embarrassed manner. “When we write, we try to avoid clichés and saying things that the reader already knows or doesn’t need to know. We have to ask ourselves: does this detail add anything to the story? Does the reader really need to know that the wall has a speck of dust on it three-quarters of the way up? The answer is up to everyone as individuals to decide. No one can tell you that one of your details is out of place or unnecessary; that is your creative license as a writer.” Takeda went on to talk about how writing should be an extension of the soul, a part of the writer’s self. Writing wasn’t something that could just _happen_. Writers were artists, painting their pictures with their words and the emotions they threw into their work,  
Shouyou agreed completely with what Takeda was saying and was completely entranced with the lecture that he didn’t even feel it as the clock ticked away the minutes until Takeda stopped talking and gave them their next assignment. They had to write a short story about something that made them feel happy. One thousand words at least, double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman, due in a week. He quickly jotted down the requirements in his notebook as the other people in his class shuffled out of the room. Soon, he was the only one left, sliding his notebook back into his backpack. 

“Hinata, can I talk to you?” Takeda-sensei came up behind him, resting a hand on Shouyou’s shoulder. Shouyou looked up, his eyes wide in curiosity as he looked at his professor. Takeda saw the worried look on Shouyou’s face and quickly assured him that he wasn’t in any form of trouble and that what he had to say wasn’t something that would be bad for him. His worries momentarily placated, Shouyou nodded and Takeda went on, “There’s a big writing competition that’s coming up in a few weeks and I’m supposed to nominate someone to participate in it for our school. I’ve seen your writing and it’s magnificent, so I want you to do it.” 

“W-what?” Shouyou couldn’t believe what he was hearing. _Him? In a writing competition? He wasn’t even that good!_

Takeda smiled at Shouyou, the kind of smile that he’d only ever gotten from his dad and Daichi, “Hinata, I know you don’t think your writing is good, but it is. Yours is the best in all of my classes and I’ve even seen others’ from different classes and none of them compare to yours. I know this may be a lot to decide right now, so just think it over and get back to me within the week, okay? If you decide you want to do it, I’ll give you the rest of the information on the competition, alright?” 

“Yeah, I, um, I’ll think about, Sensei. Thank you.” Before anything more could happen, Shouyou grabbed his bag and dashed out of the classroom. _A writing competition…Could he do something like that? Was he even skilled enough to be worthy of being in the competition?_ Shouyou’s mind raced with thoughts as his body raced back to his apartment. Long gone were the thoughts of fighting Kageyama, replaced with anxiety and a little bit of excitement. _What if he did do it and somehow he did really well? What if he won?_

Still racing with thoughts about the competition, Shouyou went directly back to his apartment, not even stopping to replace that box of Pocky that he’d given to Kenma. With his thoughts a thousand miles away, Shouyou opened the door to the apartment, walking in and closing the door behind him. Just barely, he heard noise coming from Kageyama’s bedroom, but he didn’t care at the moment. He shuffled into his bedroom, collapsing on the bed with a sigh. Maybe he should just not think about it. After all, he had a week before he had to decide, so it might be better for him to simply ignore it for today and stress out about it at a later time when he actually needed to stress out about it. Yeah, he could do that. He was practically the king of procrastination with everything else, so why not this, too?

With another heavy sigh, Shouyou slipped his backpack out from under himself and laid it gingerly down at the foot of his bed. Next, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. Hopefully by now, Kuroo will have replied and that would clear his head of all this competition stuff. The minute that it took for his phone to turn out felt like an eternity as he lay on his bed and waited to see whatever new notifications he had. Once it did finally load, Shouyou got an insane amount of notifications. He had seven new messages, two missed calls, and a voicemail. 

**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
Shouyou, call me. 

**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
Why aren’t you answering? 

**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
Is everything okay?

**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
SHOUYOU

**FROM: Mommy <3 **  
ANSWER ME 

_Frickle frackle, was he in trouble?_ Shouyou wondered absentmindedly as he read through the messages. He shouldn’t be because he was in class and therefore couldn’t answer, but moms were weird with stuff like that when they got worried over their child. He’d seen it with her plenty of times when he was younger. Granted, back then he wasn’t an _adult_ so it was actually more reasonable of her to worry. 

The missed call and voicemail were both from his mother and they both happened after she’d texted him those five times. He went to his voicemail box and clicked on the newest one from his mother. 

_“Hey, Shouyou, sorry about those messages! I forgot you were in class! Anyway, your father and I talked about it and we would love to come out. We were thinking that we could take off work Friday and take the train down, probably getting there around 11 or so. Would that be okay? Call me back and we can work out the kinks. Bye, Sho. Love you.”_

Shouyou called his mom back immediately, apologizing for having worried her. Then, they spent the next hour talking about what they would do on Friday. Shouyou told her that he would be there to pick them up at the train station and show them the way back to his apartment and his mom said that she would be sure to bring some homemade sweets for him and Kageyama. One of her concerns was if Shouyou would have enough room for the three of them to stay there, but Shouyou quickly ameliorated this concern, telling her that Kageyama wouldn’t be here this weekend so there was an open bedroom for the two of them and then he could always share his bed with Natsu ( _It’s not like we haven’t done it before, Mom,_ he had reminded her.) He hadn’t yet asked Kageyama if it would be okay if his parents stayed in his room, but it wasn’t like Kageyama could say no to him, especially when Kenma was around to persuade him. After everything was settled, Shouyou said his goodbyes to his mom, promising her that he would take care of himself until they came out to see him, before hanging up. 

Next on his list of things to do was to read the other two messages that he had missed during his adventures in class. The first was from Daichi, asking if Shouyou and Kageyama were busy tonight and if not, would they like to come over to his apartment and have dinner with him and Suga? Shouyou replied, saying that he would love to but he had too much homework at the moment and he had to be at work in a few hours. He felt bad for saying no because he loved to socialize with his friends, but he had just seen the two of them this morning and it wasn’t like he could ask off for work when he was already going to have to ask off for this weekend. Shouyou ignored the nagging guilt that was in the back of his mind and read the other message he’d gotten in class. 

**FROM: Kuroo**  
I’d say you look even more gorgeous, Shouyou-kun. Or should I call you Kitty ;)

His heart skipped a beat as he read the message. He’d called him _Kitty_. Could Kuroo get even better? What if he started calling him Kitty from now on? He’d probably die from a heart attack if Kuroo continued on with calling him that cute pet name. _It wouldn’t be necessarily unpleasant,_ Shouyou thought, _if that was how he died. At least he’d die happily._

But no, Shouyou couldn’t die like that because Kuroo had a boyfriend and although Shouyou knew this, he couldn’t stop himself from hoping that it wasn’t true. He’d literally heard one of Kuroo’s friends say that he had a boyfriend and Kuroo himself didn’t deny it, so it had to have been true. Although, there was a small part of Shouyou that thought, optimistically so, that it was all just a joke and Kuroo didn’t have a boyfriend named Bokuto. 

Shouyou took what he thought was the safest route in replying to the flirtatious boy: completely ignoring the flirting words. If he ignored them, that meant they didn’t exist and if they didn’t exist that meant that Shouyou couldn’t get blindly hopeful about a relationship with Kuroo. If he didn’t get blindly hopeful about a relationship with Kuroo, then he wouldn’t be hurt in the end when Kuroo revealed that he was simply playing around, as he did with everyone. Yes, Shouyou was sure this was the best route. 

**TO: Kuroo**  
Haha thank I guessi So what’s up? How’s your day been so far?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello friends it is I again! I hope you liked the chapter! I would have had it out yesterday but I was too lazy to get up and type it. Also! If any of you want to follow me on my Twitter, I usually rant about my boyfriend, Kuroo, and his boyfriend, Hinata. 
> 
> [ My Twitter ](https://twitter.com/sugawarasenpai)  
> [ Hinata's Blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's Blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Ciao!  
> Val <3


	6. Chapter 6

Looking at the clock, Shouyou saw he had two more hours until he had to get ready to go to work, so he decided to make some food. He hadn’t eaten an actual meal since he’d gone out with Daichi and Suga and he knew if Suga found out he wasn’t eating properly, Suga would go into Momma mode and yell at Shouyou before making him eat a proper, balanced meal. Shouyou walked into the kitchen, his phone in his hands, playing the soft acoustic version of one of the songs on his ‘relaxation’ playlist. Rummaging through the fridge, Shouyou looked for something to make. He could either make vegetable fried rice, cook some instant ramen noodles, or heat up the curry he’d made for Kageyama a few days prior. He pulled out the container holding the curry and popped the lid off, putting it into the microwave and quickly heating it up. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before setting it down on the kitchen table. Once the microwaved beeped, Shouyou pulled the container out and sat down at the table to eat the leftovers. As he was eating his curry, Shouyou got on his phone and replied to the message he’d gotten from Kuroo. 

**FROM: Kuroo**  
I’m pretty good! I just got out of my music theory class, but what’s up with you, Neko-chan? ;)

Shouyou smiled, his brown eyes sparkling in the dim light coming from above him in the kitchen. He typed out a reply, asking Kuroo how his music theory class was before telling Kuroo that he was eating dinner before he had to go to work. The black haired boy texted back almost immediately. Shouyou liked that quite a lot; he was a fairly clingy guy who required constant attention most days so Kuroo texting him back this rapidly made him go all heart eyes emoji. 

**FROM: Kuroo**  
It’s awesome we’re learning about all of the famous Japanese musicians and I’m like in love tbh

**FROM: Kuroo**  
Hey, so I still wanna talk to you but I’ve got to write this essay tonight so can we Skype?

Skyping? Why hadn’t he thought of that? Skyping would be so much easier and that way he could either start his calculus homework, his essay for American Literature, or his story for creative writing. Shouyou messaged back, giving Kuroo his skype name as he finished up with the curry. He stood up from his seat at the table and washed out the plastic container in the sink. As he set the container in the drying rack, Shouyou heard the Skype tone go off from his phone. 

 

**Incoming Call From: trashtriotetsurou**

He laughed at the name before sliding the green answer button to the right. After a momentary black screen, Kuroo popped up on Shouyou’s phone. When Shouyou saw him, Kuroo’s black hair was messy and disheveled while his eyes were lit up with excitement. He had what Shouyou was starting to guess was his signature smirk. 

“Oh hoh hoh, Neko-chan! How was your dinner? What did you have?” Kuroo’s voice was smooth, but a little loud compared to the relative silence in his apartment. Shouyou picked up his phone, angling the camera to get the best possible picture of his face as he went back into his room. He wasn’t sure if Kageyama and Kenma were still in the apartment, but if they were they would be sleeping and Shouyou didn’t have the guts to wake either of them up with the noise he would be making with Kuroo. _Wait no, that sounded perverted._

 

“It was just some leftover curry but it was pretty good,” Shouyou giggled, a nervous blush on his face. What were they even going to talk about? Shouldn’t he have thought this through a little more before telling Kuroo yes? Oh well, it wasn’t like he every truly thought any decision of his through that well. He was an impulsive guy and that wasn’t going to change just because he’d started talking to Kuroo. 

Shouyou sat down on his bed, resting the phone against his lamp. He was pulling out his homework from his backpack when he heard Kuroo’s smooth voice, “Neko-chan, what are you doing right now? Are you in your bedroom?” Shouyou didn’t have to look back at his phone to know that Kuroo was smirking devilishly and wiggling his eyebrows. Shouyou’s cheeks burned as he thought about what it would be like if Kuroo was actually here with him in his bedroom. Would things be different? What would they be- _Boyfriend, remember? Stop it._

“Haha, perv, I’m just doing my homework so don’t go and get any ideas, yeah?” Shouyou laughed it off, moving his phone to lay on his bed, giving Kuroo a nice view of his ceiling. The smaller boy had no desire for Kuroo to see his face like this, all red and embarrassed. Throwing all thoughts of flirtations aside, Shouyou pulled out his pencil and went to work on the calculus problems he had. There were fifty problems on the page that he’d been assigned, so he hoped to finish the majority of them before work, considering each problem should take him less than five minutes if he actually tried to concentrate on them. Then again, this was Kuroo he was talking to so complete concentration was very unlikely to happen. 

“You’re the one who interpreted it in a dirty way, Neko-chan,” Shouyou heard Kuroo let out a laugh that was somewhere in between a chuckle and a cackle. He’d never heard anything like it before, but it wasn’t an unpleasant sound. “Your room likes nice, by the way. Very aesthetically pleasing.” 

“Hey, how old are you?” Shouyou asked as he was mid-problem, a grin on his face. 

“Twenty-two, why?” Shouyou looked at the phone screen, pleasantly seeing a confused Kurooo. He wasn’t sure whether or not the black haired boy was confused about why Shouyuo asked how old he was or if it was because of the essay he was supposedly doing. Either way, Shouyou loved it. 

“Because you act like a perverted twelve year old.” Shouyou stuck his tongue out mockingly at Kuroo. The other boy mocked offense, his mouth agape in shock. 

“Wow, I’m the twelve year old? I am truly offended and deeply hurt.” Kuroo’s voice held no tone of offense and rather had a tone of…happiness? Shouyou decided right then and there that he enjoyed that about Kuroo, the fact that he could take it just as well as he could dish it out. 

“Get back to your homework, Kuroo-san,” Shoyou laughed softly, his gaze back on the problem he was doing. He heard Kuroo say something along the lines of ‘whatever you say, Neko-chan’ but he ignored it in favor of focusing on the third problem in front of him. Was 456 divisible by four? Shouyou couldn’t quite remember and he should have had his calculator out, but it was on his phone and he was currently using that to Skype. Maybe he should invest in a real one. “Oi, Kuroo, are you any good at Calculus?”

“I failed it my first two times taking it, but I’m passing right now. So not really. Why?” 

“Wait, you’re taking it right now? Who do you have?” If Kuroo and he had the same professor, they could potentially compare answers to the homework and help each other pass the class. 

“Nakamura-sensei. Are you taking Calculus, too? Who do you have?”

“Dude! We have the same professor! When’s your class?” Shouyou and Kuroo started talking about their Calculus class together. Kuroo told him he was taking it Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 11:30 while Shouyou was taking it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then, Kuroo started asking him about how the people in the class were and asking if he should switch around his Calculus and Japanese History 303 class because he could deal with an hour and a half of history lecture but he was struggling with his hour and a half Calculus class. Shouyou thought about what it would be like to have Kuroo in his class. Would they sit next to each other? Would they pass notes like middle schoolers? Shouyou had a feeling that he might be a little more distracted during that class, but being with Kuroo would probably make it more fun and maybe if he had someone to remind him of things, he would do better on tests and the like. 

 

“If you’re having trouble, then yeah, you should talk to your advisor and switch those classes around. You don’t want to get too behind with your grades because you can’t keep your focus in a class that’s that long.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s true. Imagine how cool it would be if we were in class together though! We could hang out and ‘study.’” Kuroo laughed, but the way he said study suggested to Shouyou that that was clearly not what he actually had in mind. “Do you take good notes? You seem like the type that takes really nice notes. I can’t take notes for the life of me, I always just end up doodling pictures off to the side or writing song lyrics instead of what we’re supposed to actually write down.” 

Shouyou laughed, “I can relate to that, I was the same way in middle school. After my friend, Suga, taught me how to take notes effectively, though, I started to take much more detailed notes and my grades slowly improved. I could teach you, if you ever wanted to learn how to do it.” 

“You’re the best, Neko-chan. I would love that.” The two of them talked together, both ignoring their schoolwork. When Kuroo did something cute or pulled a funny face (which was practically all the time), Shouyou took a screenshot. Kuroo ended up doing the same thing and pretty soon the both of them were just making funny faces at each other, competing over who could make the funniest ones. 

Eventually, the two hours Shouyou had were up and he had to get ready for work. With a sigh, Shouyou spoke up, interrupting their small competition, “Ah, I have to get ready for work now. I’ll text you later, okay?” 

“Aww, bye, Neko-chan! Talk to you later!” Kuroo threw up a peace sign with his fingers and smiled at the camera before hanging up the Skype call. 

Shouyou plugged his phone in to charge before he got off his bed and went to change into his work uniform. He worked at a small 24-hour café so he just had to put on a pair of black skinny jeans and an orange shirt. The café was pretty relaxed when it came to uniforms, especially for those who worked the later shifts. The only requirement for their uniforms were that 1. They must be orange and black, 2. The clothes must be clean and 3. No merchandise from other restaurants was allowed to be worn. Shouyou liked it that way because they had no gendered uniforms and he could wear whatever he wanted without his boss getting on his case to not wear ‘girl’ clothes. 

Shouyou pulled his Converse on, tying them up quickly. He glanced at the clock, seeing that he had half an hour to get to work and the walk there would only take around twenty. He should probably leave now just in case there was a lot of foot traffic today and he couldn’t make it in his normal time. Being early was always better than being late; after three times being late, he could get fired and if that happened, he wouldn’t be able to afford his rent or his classes. Without checking to see if Kageyama was still in the apartment (he really didn’t want to see him and Kenma in any more compromising positions), Shouyou walked out the door and made his way from the apartment building to his job. 

Twenty minutes later, Shoyou walked into the café, his mind racing with thoughts. What was he going to do with the writing competition? Should he actually participate in it? Would he even have the time to participate in the writing competition? And what about Kuroo? Kuroo had a boyfriend, but Shouyou kept feeling this magnetic pull towards to the elder ‘punk’ boy he’d just met yesterday. It was unexplainable, he thought, how he felt so deeply about a person he’d just met the day prior. He was the type of person who got attached to others quickly, but even for him this was odd. 

“Hinata? What’re you doing just standing there?” A familiar voice brought Shouyou out of his thoughts. He looked up to see his friend and manager, Yachi Hitoka, standing in front of him, a confused glance thrown his way. Her eyes were wide with worry and anxiety, a look that Shouyou was not unaccustomed to, but he still didn’t like seeing such a look on her face. She was too precious and kind to ever look that way, Shouyou thought to himself. 

“Oh? Haha, sorry! Just thinking about some stuff. But, ya know, I should go clock in so I’m not late!” Shouyou grinned, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he maneuvered around her to the back office. He clocked in five minutes prior to his shift starting before going back to where Yachi stood, in between the kitchen and the dining area. 

“Oh, it’s been okay! Kiyoko came by just a little bit ago and we’re supposed to go out together tomorrow,” Yachi’s face was redder than anything Shouyou had ever seen and he could tell by the way her skin glistened that she was nervously sweating. Kiyoko was an older girl who worked at the university library and Yachi had been hopelessly in love with her ever since she transferred into this school. Shouyou had spent many a night talking with Yachi about her crush, trying to help her through it all and at the same time trying to persuade her to actually _talk_ to the older girl. A few weeks ago, Yachi had dragged Shouyou to the library after their shift and had him stand there (purely for moral support) while she finally talked to Kiyoko. Their conversation was mainly Yachi stuttering and Kiyoko trying to guide the poor girl, but Shouyou thought it was cute and it would definitely make a good story for the children he just knew they were going to adopt together later on in their life. 

“Oooh, where are you guys going? Someplace where the lights are low enough to make out during dinner?” Shouyou teased, causing the blonde girl to blush even harder. 

“I wish…” He heard her mutter under her breath and let out a laugh. “Oh goodness, did I just say that out loud? Please don’t tell her I said that, Hinata. I think I would die from mortification if she found out.” 

“Don’t worry, Yachi-san! I would never tell Kiyoko-san that you want to make out with her until neither of you can breathe and you’re eventually arrested for public indecency.” Shouyou grinned as Yachi’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak. Before she could get any words out of her mouth, though, a customer walked in the door, causing the bell to go off. Shouyou looked up, seeing a tall guy with short, spiky brown hair walk in and sit down in one of the tables near the window. “Oops, customer! Gotta go, Yachi-san!” 

Shouyou grabbed a menu and hurried over to the customer, smiling brightly at him, “Hello, sir! I’m Hinata and I’ll be your server tonight! Is it just going to be you?” 

“Oh, no, it’s gonna be two tonight. I’ve got a, um, friend meeting me later.” The guy looked nervous. Could this perhaps be a date? No, he would have mentioned it was a date; guys were always incredibly eager to mention that they were on a date. Then, he must really like the person he was meeting. Maybe an unrequited love? Oh, whatever. It shouldn’t matter to Shouyou. 

“Alright, well here’s our menu,” He handed the laminated paper to the customer, smiling at him politely, “While you’re looking through the menu, can I get you anything to drink, sir?” 

“Water, please. With lemon.” The man ordered, not looking up from the menu. Shouyou excused himself before walking back to the kitchen. Water, that was easy. He made a glass of water, making sure to put lemon on the side before running it back out to the table. A few more customers walked in, so Shouyou went to take care of them. They were an older couple, people he’d seen in here every Monday and he knew their usual order practically perfectly. 

“Ah, hello, you two! It’s so nice to see you again, Miku-san, Hotaka-san. How are the kids doing?” Shouyou walked up to their table, a smile on his face. They’d been coming in since before he’d started working here and they’d always been nice to him, leaving him good tips in exchange for listening to them talk about their children and their home life overall. They had two girls, Haruhi and Yoshiko, both of whom were in middle school. Shouyou liked hearing about their antics every week. 

“Oh, they’re great, Hinata, thank you for asking! I think Haruhi’s getting into her ‘makeup and boys’ stage right now, though.” Miku laughed, patting her husband’s hand as he groaned at the idea of his baby girl getting into boys. Shouyou sort of knew what that was like; his little sister was in elementary school and Shouyou would probably react that way when she started looking at other people in a romantic viewpoint. 

“Ah, yeah, she’s at that age right now, isn’t she?” All three of them laughed as Shouyou made a face of disgust, “Don’t you ever just wish they could go back to thinking boys have cooties? Such a simpler time.” 

“I don’t think it’d be so bad if they were into boys like you, Hinata. You’re always so sweet and kind, you’re the type of boy anyone would love to take home to their mother, Hinata.” Shouyou blushed at Miku’s words, feeling a sense of pride and sadness at the same time. He’d only been introduced to someone’s mother as a _friend_. No one he’d ever gone out with had shared the same sentiment that Miku had. But he couldn’t dwell on that, no, he had better things to think about. 

“Haha, thank you. So are you two going to be getting your usual?” When the two of them both nodded, Shouyou excused himself to go back and put in the order for their food. As he grabbed their drinks and took them back to their table, Shouyou heard the door to the café open, but didn’t look up. If it was a new customer, one of his co-workers could take them. He already had two tables he was working at the moment. “Alright, here you two go! Your food should be out in a few minutes. Feel free to call me over if you need anything else!” 

Shouyou smiled at them before walking away to check on his other table, the one with the guy waiting for his ‘friend.’ Looking at the table where the man had sat down, Shouyou saw that his friend had joined him now. He could only see the back of the other person’s head, but the wavy brown hair looked vaguely familiar to him. Shouyou walked up to them, his smile wide and as genuine as he could muster, given that he was at work right now. 

“Hi! I’m Hinata, your server. What can I get you to drink?” He started, looking at the newcomer, whose eyes were cast down upon the menu on the table. When he lifted his head, Shouyou almost audibly gasped. It was the weird guy from before, the guy he only remembered as the ‘Grand King’ because that’s what he had reminded him of. He masked the look of surprise on his face with a cough, going back to his normal big smile. 

“Ooooh, chibi-chan!! How weird seeing you again so soon. Are you…stalking me?” The Grand King gasped in a playful tone, smirking at Shouyou, who was busy trying to act professional. 

“Wait, do you two know each other?” The first customer (Shouyou still didn’t know his name) asked, looking back and forth between Shouyou and the Grand King. Shouyou blushed and immediately started rambling about how they’d bumped into each other and he definitely didn’t know this guy and there was nothing going on between the two of them. Meanwhile, the Grand King did the exact opposite. 

“Chibi-chan and I are practically lovers now, wouldn’t you say, Chibi-chan? Considering you fell for me and you called me hot, all in the span of one day.” He winked, causing both the faces of the two guys to turn a bright red. _Please, God,_ Shouyou thought, _make this Grand King stop_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, hi guys!!! So this update is a little longer than the past few, but there's a reason for that! I'm starting to teach Spanish to preschoolers next week and I might not have as much time to write as I usually do! Also, I'm probably going to write a Kurohina one-shot for Valentine's Day, so the next chapter might be pushed back farther than a week (like I usually try to do). I hope you guys enjoyed this update, though! 
> 
> As usual,   
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And!!! Here's some cool fan art some of you drew:  
> [ featherheart4248 's ](http://scrunchyseaurchins.tumblr.com/post/138498304585/for-shouyouthesmallgiant-trashtriotetsurou-s)   
> [ FakePlant's ](http://fake-plant.tumblr.com/post/138704837230/you-should-all-check-out-this-fic-by)
> 
> honestly I got really emotional when you guys told me you drew fanart for this fic and it made me so happy I almost cried so thank you sosososo much!!! <3
> 
> Until next week,   
> Val <3


	7. Chapter 7

“And then this guy had the audacity to say we’re ‘practically lovers!’ I was so embarrassed and everyone in the café was looking at us and I almost cried. The other guy looked like he wanted to murder me and I was terrified. The dude was like at least 180 cm and he probably had more muscles than anyone else in the café and Oh my God, he could have literally killed me, Kuroo.” The last night’s events were overdramatized a little bit (the other guy probably wouldn’t have killed him, seeing as they were in public and ya know, murder is just a tad bit irrational), but Shouyou was a dramatic person so that was to be expected. 

“What’s the guy’s name? I’ll beat him up for you. Both of them, actually.” 

Shouyou laughed at Kuroo’s face, which made him look like he was ready to fight anyone and everyone, if need be, “That’s sweet, but completely unnecessary. I think the guy’s name was like Oikana or something? I’m better with faces, not names, haha. And maybe the hulked out guy was named Iwa-chan? That’s what the first guy called him.” 

“Holy shit, can you describe what they looked like to me again? I think I might know them.” Shouyou went into describing the boy, his words tumbling out quickly. Vividly, he detailed the wavy brown-haired boy with the chocolate brown eyes and the smirk that seems to taunt everyone he looked at. As he continued with his description of the guy from work last night, Kuroo’s mind clicked with recognition, “Dude! Could you have meant Oikawa and his friend Iwaizumi?” 

“Oh yeah! That was his name! How do you know them?” Shouyou smiled widely, watching Kuroo’s face contort into a grin. Kuroo’s face was beautiful, Shouyou thought. He had a piercing through his right eyebrow, the metal ring glinting in the artificial light surrounding him. His eyelashes were thick and long, something Shouyou was simultaneously jealous of and incredibly attracted to.  
“Oikawa and I used to be in a band together, back in our high school days. I think I told you about it the other night at dinner?” Oh, yeah, now that Shouyou thought about it, Kuroo had told him about being in a band called ‘Trash Trio’ and how quickly they had disbanded, but he never talked about the other members. Shouyou asked him. “Oh, the band? It was just Oikawa, me, and our friend Bokuto.”

Shouyou stiffened at the name. _Bokuto? Wasn’t that the name of Kuroo’s boyfriend? Were they the same person?_ Shouyou was silent, curiously wondering about Kuroo’s relationship. He didn’t want to say that he was jealous, but he was so frickin’ jealous of this Bokuto guy, whoever he was.

“Shouyou-kun? Is everything okay?”

“Huh?” Shouyou looked p at the screen of his laptop to see Kuroo’s worried face. “Oh, haha, sorry. I get distracted easily, short attention span and all. But so are you three all still, um, friends?” 

“Oikawa and I don’t really talk anymore but Bokuto and I are still the best of friends. Bokuto’s like this really energetic, loud guy and we’re pretty close to each other because of that.” Kuroo laughed, thinking about his bro. Shouyou’s face fell when he heard this. So they were _close_ boyfriends, close enough to be best friends. Guilt suffocated Shouyou as he thought about his feelings and his selfish desires. He’d wished that the two of them would break up so that maybe he could have a chance of dating Kuroo, but the two of them were _close_ so how could he possibly feel good about wanting to break that up? God, he was such a douche. “Sometimes his boyfriend even jokes that we’re closer than the two of them.” 

“Oh really? That must be great. Sometimes I think Kageyama and I- Wait, what? His boyfriend?” Shouyou’s heart beat quickened, his eyes widening in surprise. Did that mean he and Kuroo weren’t dating? What even? Shouyou’s brain couldn’t fully comprehend it and he just sat there, staring at the screen in front of him. 

“Yeah, his boyfriend, Akaashi. He was our waiter the other night at dinner.” Kuroo stared back at Shouyou, confusion clearly written across his features. 

“So you’re not dating him?” Kuroo shook his head vehemently, laughing at the idea of him and Bokuto dating before asking Shouyou why he thought that. He had never met Bokuto so it wasn’t as though he could have just assumed they were boyfriends because of the way they acted around each other (it was more bromo than homo, but some people couldn’t tell the difference.) “Well, like, that guy said he was your boyfriend, so I just thought it was true? And I didn’t want to ask you if it was or wasn’t because who you are or aren’t dating shouldn’t be any of my business.” 

“Well, I can assure you that I am completely, 100% single at the moment.” Kuroo winked at Shouyou, causing the ginger boy to blush a deep red, “Ya know, unless you want that to change.” 

“Oh no, I’m going through a tunnel!! Ahh, losing the connection! Can’t…. gaaaah…. hear….. gaaah…. you….” Shouyou dramatically acted out, avoiding Kuroo’s sudden flirtations. It wasn’t that Shouyou didn’t want Kuroo to flirt with him (he honestly really loved it every single time Kuroo did flirt with him) but that this was suddenly real. Kuroo was _actually_ flirting with him this time and he couldn’t tell himself that this was all fake because he had a boyfriend. Kuroo _didn’t_ have a boyfriend and that fact made all the flirtatious things he’d said real and Shouyou had no idea how to handle it. He’d never really had someone like Kuroo before, someone who flirted with him without the context of a one night relationship. It was real and it was terrifying. “I actually have to go, though. Gotta get ready for class.” 

“Bye, Neko-chan. I’ll miss you.” Kuroo did his usual peace sign to the camera before hanging up the Skype call. 

Shouyou laid back on his bed with a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. How was he supposed to go about this next? Did he start flirting back with Kuroo, wait a while, and then ask him out? Should he wait for Kuroo to ask him out? Shouyou wasn’t exactly sure how the whole ‘relationships’ thing was supposed to work and there was no one he could really ask. All of his friends had either started off their relationships oddly or they just weren’t in a relationship at all. Maybe he could talk to someone on the internet? Shouyou opened up Tumblr and did just that. 

After that conversation with Kuroo, the next couple of days flew by relatively eventless. Shouyou talked to Kuroo all day, went to class in the early afternoon, and then worked during the night. The conversations between him and Kuroo were filled with what Shouyou thought was Kuroo flirting with him (but then again, Shouyou was kind of oblivious to these sorts of things) and Shouyou being awkward and excited simultaneously. While Shouyou was talking with Kuroo, he was also spending time making sure his and Kageyama’s apartment was presentable enough for his family. He made sure to do all the dishes as soon as they were dirtied, he made sure the laundry was all washed, folded, and put away, and he even made sure that his room was clean for Natsu to sleep in. 

That Friday morning, Shouyou woke up three hours before Natsu and his parents were supposed to arrive at the train station. Softly, he padded out of his room and into the kitchen, where he found that (surprisingly) Kageyama was awake already and making breakfast. Or well, he was _attempting_ to make breakfast, Shouyou should say. Kageyama was burning the eggs and gazing off into the distance. 

“Oi, Bakageyama, what’re you doing? Pay attention when you’re cooking.” Shouyou nudged Kageyama out of the way and turned the stove off so he could take care of the burnt eggs. If they were on for much longer, it would ruin the skillet and the two of them really couldn’t afford to buy new skillets at the moment. 

Kageyama let out a soft sigh, “Sorry.” 

“You’re apologizing? Is something wrong, Kageyama?” Shouyou turned around to face his friend, worry evident in his features. Kageyama wasn’t the type to so easily apologize, especially over something as small as this. It usually took a while for Kageyama to realize that he _should_ apologize and even then, he was too embarrassed to apologize. Kageyama didn’t answer Shouyou, just stood there, looking at the kitchen floor. “Oi, Tobio, what’s wrong? Are you upset because Kenma hasn’t texted you back or something?” 

That broke Kageyama out of his intense staring competition with the floor. He glared at Shouyou, “Don’t call me that. It’s weird coming from you.” 

“Then talk to me! Or I’ll keep calling you Tobio, Tobio.” Shouyou glared back before turning around and starting to clean out the skillet, “I just want to help you, but I can’t do that if you won’t talk to me.”  
“I hate you sometimes,” Kageyama grumbled under his breath, making the other boy laugh. _Ha, sure, Jan,_ Shouyou thought to himself. “I’m meeting Kenma’s parents today.”

“Yeah, you are?” Shouyou was confused. He’d known for weeks that Kenma was introducing him to his parents today, so why the declaration? Did he forget that this was happening? Shouyou couldn’t see how he could forget, but Kageyama could do a lot of things Shouyou didn’t think were possible. He was just cool like that. 

“Oh my god, do I have to spell it out for you, idiot?” Kageyama groaned and Shouyou could hear the tell-tale sound that meant he’d literally just face palmed. “I’m meeting them _for the first time_. Do you get it now?”

“OH!” Shouyou jumped and turned around suddenly in realization, “You’re nervous about meeting Kenma’s parents!” Kageyama nodded, looking at Shouyou as if he were the slowest person in the world, “Well, don’t be! You might look like a jerk on the outside, but we all know how soft and sweet you are, especially with Kenma. His parents will see that and love you, just like everyone else who actually gets to know you.” 

“Did you just call me a jerk, you asshole?” 

“Of course that’s what you get out of that, Kageyama,” Shouyou rolled his eyes disapprovingly, “Anywaay, just relax and be yourself, yeah? If you’re willing to meet his parents, then it’s obvious you’re in this for the long run and his parents will respect that. Also, if you think Kenma doesn’t talk about how in love you two are, especially to his parents, you are mistaken.” 

“Okay, yeah, I guess, but what if I make an idiot of myself? What if they hate me? Shouyou, what if they forbid me from going out with Kenma any longer? Oh my god, I don’t think I could survive that. He’s, like, my entire life and I don’t know what I would do without him…” Kageyama started freaking out, pacing around the small kitchen, his hands tugging at strands of his black hair. Shouyou grabbed his arms and held them to his sides, urging Kageyama to stop. 

“Hey, hey, calm down. Kenma would never leave you, okay? If he loves you enough to have put up with you this long, there’s no way he’s leaving. I’m sure you could ask him this yourself and he’d say the same thing, probably with less words though.” Shouyou wrapped his arms around Kageyama, pulling him into a hug, “Just relax, okay? And ya know, if you ever need help, I’m here for you, Kageyama. I’ll always be here for you. We’re BFFLs, remember?” 

Kageyama, his eyes watery, pushed Shouyou off of him, “What the hell does BFFLs mean? Stop being so sappy, dumbass.” 

“Whatever, just go get ready to leave and woo your bae’s parents. I’ll make breakfast.” Shouyou shooed Kageyama out of the kitchen, towards his bedroom. As he walked back into the kitchen to make an _edible_ breakfast, he heard Kageyama mutter something along the lines of ‘what in the hell is a bae?’ Shouyou laughed; Kageyama was a forty year old man stuck inside the body of a 19 year old boy, he was sure. 

An hour later, Kageyama was ready to go and the two of them had eaten a good breakfast (one that wasn’t completely burnt.) Kenma and Kageyama didn’t have to leave for at least another hour, but Kenma, sensing that his boyfriend would be nervous about meeting his parents, came over early to assure him that everything was going to be okay. The couple sat together, talking softly about something Shouyou couldn’t make out. He sat on the opposite side of the room, focusing on his phone. His mom texted him, telling him that they’d just gotten on the train and that they couldn’t wait to see him. Then, Suga texted him, asking if he and Daichi could meet Shouyou’s actual parents. 

**TO: Suga Momma**  
I can see about dinner tonight! Would that work for you? 

**FROM: Suga Momma**  
That’d be gr8! Thanks, Sho! 

“Oi, Shouyou? Are you even listening to us? He was brought out of his concentration on his phone when Kageyama snapped his fingers in front of his face. Looking up at his raven haired best friend, Shouyou saw the clearly annoyed look on Kageyama’s face. _Exactly how long had he been out of i?_

“Ah, sorry. What were you saying?” 

“We’re leaving now, Sho. You gonna be okay alone?” Shouyou couldn’t tell if the wat he squinted his eyes was because he was worried or if it was because h needed glasses. Knowing him, it was probably a mixture of both. 

“Um, yeah? Natsu and my parents will be here in like an hour or two, so I won’t even be alone that long.” Shouyou watched as Kageyama nodded, seemingly content with that answer. Was there even a reason Kageyama asked him if he’d be okay being alone? It wasn’t like he’d never been alone before, like when Kageyama stayed over at Kenma’s apartment. 

“Okay just making sure. Bye, Shouyou.” Kageyama moved away from Shouyou, heading towards the door. Before he even made it halfway to the door, Shouyou was pulling him back. The shorter boy wrapped his arms around Kageyama and squeezed tightly, the raven haired boy letting out a squeak. 

Shouyou backed away, a nervous grin on his face, “Ahhh, sorry, Kageyama, I know you don’t like hugs very much but I’m not gonna see you for the next couple of days so…”

Kageyama, with a blush adorning his features, looked at his roommate, “Don’t worry about it. It’s certainly not the weirdest thing you’ve done.” 

With that joke, the atmosphere in the room was lighter. Shouyou said goodbye to Kenma, too, foregoing the hug he’d given Kageyama. He’d known the raven haired boy for years, so it wasn’t too incredibly weird for them to hug, but with Kenma, he’d only met him a few months ago, so it would probably be too weird for them to hug. When the two finally left, Shouyou only had a few minutes before he needed to get ready to go pick up his parents. He used his spare few minutes to text Suga, his mom, and Kuroo.  
According to his messages, Kuroo was currently busy trying to finish up his music theory essay. As Kuroo was working, he continuously sent Shouyou ‘fun facts’ about different tings involving music. Like, did he know that his heartbeat mimics the music he listens to? And no, he didn’t know that, but wow, that’s amazing. Every time Kuroo sent a music fun fact, Shouyou shot back a cute fact about animals. The two of them did this back and forth, each time with an increasingly less cool fact until finally Shouyou ran out of thing he knew about animals.  
Shouyou looked at the time in the top of his phone screen. The black digital numbers read 10:06. Quickly, he jumped off the couch and ran to his bedroom. He had fifteen minutes before he had to leave for the station and he hadn’t even gotten a shower yet. He grabbed a quick five minute shower before he threw on a pair of light pink pants and a t-shirt he randomly grabbed from his closet. At the ten minute mark, he was hopping on one foot, trying to tie his shoe as he simultaneously made his way to the door. Of course, being as clumsy as he was, Shouyou tripped and fell onto his face. 

“Aww fudge me.” 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Shouyou showed up in front of the train station. His mom had called him on his way to the station, telling him they should be off of the train in a few minutes and asking how close he was to the station. He’d assured her that he was only a few minutes away and that he definitely wouldn’t be later. Looking at the table of arrivals and departures, Shouyou found that he had kept his promise to his mom; their train hadn’t yet come in. 

Shouyou leaned against the wall, trying his best to stay out of the wat of the bustling crowd of people. Shouyou loved to people watch, to make up stories for the lives of everyone he saw, and the crowded train station was perfect for that. He looked around, searching for someone interesting that he could make up a background story for. To his left, he found the perfect man. He was dressed in a disheveled suit, his tie loose and just hanging around is collar, his short black hair tousled in different directions. He was a salaryman, Shouyou guessed, but he didn’t enjoy it. He’d just worked through the night, finishing up a big project for his company. His wife and two children were waiting for him at home, wondering why Daddy still wasn’t home. 

“Onii-chan!” Shouyou heard someone call out before he felt someone come barreling into him. Recovering from his mini heart attack, he looked down to see Natsu attaching herself to his waist. He crouched down and hugged her tightly, a grin on his face. 

“Natsu-chan!” Her small arms wrapped around the back of his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder. Shouyou pulled away, looking at his little sister, “Did you run off by yourself? Where are Mom and Dad?” 

Before Natsu could answer, Shouyou saw them approaching. His mom’s hair was a light orange, similar to his own, pulled back into a bun. His dad, the odd one out in the family, was tall with light brown hair, cut close to his ears. The two of them held hands as they walked towards their children, making Shouyou ‘aww’ internally. 

“Mom! Dad!” Shouyou went to go hug them, but Natsu held him back, her arms wrapped around him. Looking back at Natsu, he asked her what was wrong. 

“…Missed you!” Natsu cried into him, grasping the back of his t-shirt tightly. Shouyou let out a noise, somewhere in between a laugh and a cry as he patted Natsu’s back. He’d missed her, too, but he didn’t think his absence would have affected her this much. He felt hear tears soak into his t-shirt, but he didn’t particularly care about that. 

“Ah, Natsu-chan, it’s okay. We’re gonna hang out all weekend and we can even camp out in the living room if you want.” Shouyou backed away a little, brushing the hair out of her face. Natsu stared at him, her big brown eyes watery and red. He brushed the tears off her face and smiled at her, “You okay, kiddo?”  
Natsu nodded, sniffling loudly. “Promise, onii-chan?” She held out her pinkie to him and he wrapped his pinkie around her smaller one, telling her that he would definitely promise that. 

“Such a good big brother, Shouyou,” His mom laughed, ruffling his hair. 

Shouyou grinned, “Thanks, Mom. So are you guys ready to leave?” His parents nodded and he grabbed Natsu’s bag from his dad before taking Natsu’s hand in his own and leading them out, On the way back to his apartment, Shouyou pointed out all the different places. He showed them Ukai’s place, the various school buildings, and some of the stores he frequented. He even showed Natsu the park a few blocks from his apartment, promising to take her there sometime this weekend. 

“Is Tobio here?” Shouyou’s dad asked as they entered into the apartment in front of him. Shouyou shook his head, telling him that Kageyama and Kenma had gone away for the weekend to visit Kenma’s parents. This brought about a round of questions about how Kageyama was doing with such a long-term boyfriend, all of which Shouyou answered as he showed them around the apartment. Natsu was unusually clingy towards him, her hand gripping his wrist firmly the entire time they were walking around. Shouyou thought that perhaps she was scared he would leave her again (even though this was his apartment and it wasn’t like he could just get up and _leave_ ). 

“OH! I forgot to ask, would you guys want to get dinner with some friends of mine? They said they wanted to meet you.” Shouyou turned to his parents, an eyebrow cocked. They looked at each other, communicating in that silent way that somehow effectively got everything across. The two of them nodded and Shouyou looked down at Natsu, “Do you wanna meet my friends, Natsu-chan?” 

“But I thought we were hanging out! Not us and your friends!” Shouyou felt a tug in his heart as he saw her eyes water again. He hated seeing people sad, especially because of him, and with his little sister it was ten times harder to watch. He couldn’t just stand there and let her start crying because she thought he was going to ditch her. So, he did what any good big brother would do. 

“Hey, if you come hang out with my friends, I promise I’ll take you to do something, just you and I, okay?” Shouyou ruffled her hair and grinned, “We can go to the aquarium and you can see all the cool fish and maybe after that we’ll go get ice cream.” 

With that, Natsu agreed to go to dinner with Shouyou and his friends. While his parents were putting their things away in Kageyama’s room, Shouyou sat on the couch with Natsu in his lap. She started telling him about her school life and how a girl in her class ate a glue stick a few days ago. Shouyou found the look of complete and utter disgust on his little sister’s face _hilarious_ and asked her what else was going on. As Natsu delved into another story about something that had happened with her friends, Shouyou pulled out his phone and texted Suga. 

**TO: Suga Momma**  
Dinner at 6? Ukai’s place? 

When Suga texted him back, ten minutes later, he told Shouyou that six was perfect before asking if they could invite other people. Shouyou didn’t even think about it before texting back and saying they could invite whoever they wanted as long as he wasn’t paying. After a moment, Shouyou thought about inviting a certain someone. He’d said he was writing an essay, but surely he could take off an hour to come get dinner, right? 

**TO: Kuroo**  
Hey! Are you busy tonight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO ... Shouyou knows Kuroo doesn't have a boyfriend now!! Frckn finally, am I right? Also, Shouyou inviting Kuroo to dinner with his parents, isn't that a little early? I mean, Shouyou, you two haven't even kissed yet! 
> 
> Okay so I'm so sorry this took like two weeks to get out, I am literal trash. But I wrote two other kurohina things during that time so I guess it wasn't that bad? Idk. Anyway, I hope you all liked this and if you did enjoy it, kudos and comments are much appreciated! I love you all and I hope you have an amazing day!!!  
> ~Val <3
> 
>  
> 
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)


	8. Chapter 8

Before Shouyou and his family met up with his friends, he had to go to his two classes of the day. Natsu was reluctant to stay behind when he’d had to leave, but their mom took care of her, saying that if she stayed behind, she could watch cartoons in Shouyou’s bed. Of course, Natsu agreed to this and let Shouyou leave without causing any more of a fuss. Shouyou’s first class was boring and his mind was a thousand miles away, thinking about what was going to happen that night. Kuroo was going to meet his friend (minus Kageyama and Kenma, obviously) and his family all in one night and they weren’t even dating yet. To be honest, he was surprised when Kuroo had agreed to it, given that they’d only _actually_ hung out together in person once. That’s not to say that Shouyou wasn’t happy about it, though; Shouyou was ecstatic. His family and friends meant the absolute world to him and if they liked Kuroo, he would feel more…secure about his feelings for the boy.  
During his Creative Writing class, however, Shouyou held more concentration. Takeda-sensei lectured them for the better half of the class before letting them ask him questions about their assignment due on Monday. Shouyou had tried plenty of times to come up with something to write that wasn’t terribly cliché, but he quickly found it to be difficulty. Everything he could think of wasn’t good enough and none of it _clicked_ with him. Shouyou got up and stood in the small line starting from the professor’s desk, ready to ask what he thought Shouyou should write about. The line moved fairly quickly and soon Shouyou was at the front, standing across from Takeda-sensei. 

“Good afternoon, Shouyou-kun. What’s your question?” Takeda-sensei smiled brightly, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. 

“Haha, okay, so hypothetically if I hadn’t started writing yet, what should I, um, write about? Only hypothetically speaking, of course.” He laughed nervously, brushing a strand of orange hair back from his eyes. He should probably get that cut soon, Shouyou thought. Maybe he would ask his mom to cut it for him while she’s in town. 

Takeda-sensei shook his head at the small ginger boy, disappointed but not surprised that he’d not yet started, “I can’t tell you what to write, Shouyou-kun. The words have to come from your heart; they have to be a part of your soul if you want it to be good. Just try on your own, okay?” 

“But sensei, I’ve tried. Five times. Noting feels right to me, though. Everything I start to write is too cliché and overdone and I am so grossed out by how terrible it is, honestly.” 

“Alright, so take a break from writing. Look for inspiration this weekend and if you can’t find any by Monday, talk to me. But remember: inspiration comes from the oddest places imaginable, Shouyou.” He thanked Takeda, turning to leave. Before he could do so, though, Takeda called him back, “Shouyou-kun have you thought over what we talked about Monday?” 

“Oh, yeah, I still haven’t come up with an answer yet. You said I had until Monday, though, right? I mean, I thought that’s what you said, but if you need me to give you an answer now- “ Shouyou’s words spilled from his lips as he freaked out internally. The writing competition had been at the back of his mind, nagging at him whenever he’d tried to sleep. He’d thought about it, but he still couldn’t come up with a solid answer for his professor. 

Luckily for him, Takeda stopped him mid-ramble, “Hey, Shouyou-kun, calm down. You still have all weekend to decide, okay? Now go home and enjoy your time off of school.” 

“Thanks, sensei!” Shouyou waved goodbye before grabbing his backpack and darting out of the classroom. Maybe he should talk to his parents about the competition, see what they thought. Then again, if he told them about it and ended up not going through with it, they’d have raised their hopes up for nothing and he would’ve disappointed them. Compared to every other emotion anyone could feel towards him, Shouyou thought that disappointment was the worst of the whole lot.  
So if not them, who could he talk to? He needed someone that would give him absolutely unbiased advice. Someone who would know him well enough to give him sound advice, but also someone that wouldn’t be disappointed in him if he decided not to do the competition. He needed Kuroo. 

Shouyou told himself that he’d talk to Kuroo about it later tonight and then made his way back to his apartment. 

“Onii-chan!” The minute Shouyou walked through the door, he was attacked by a six year old monster. Natsu had managed to come barreling into him with such force that she knocked Shouyou down onto the entryway floor within a matter of seconds. He laughed off the surge of pain that traveled across his back as he hit the floor and hugged Natsu. 

“Natsu-chan!” Shouyou unwrapped his arms from around his little sister and propped himself up on his elbow, thankful that he hadn’t been wearing a skirt today. If he had been, well there’d be a lot more on view at the moment than the little strip where his t-shirt had risen up. “How were your cartoons?” 

“They were so good! Mommy and I watched Sailor Moon and she’s so pretty, Onii-chan! I wanna look just like her when I’m older!” Natsu giggled, hopping off of Shouyou. She pulled her older brother up by his arm and tugged hi down the hall into his room, “Now you can watch with us, okay, Sho?”

“Alright, alright,” Shouyou laughed at the persistence in his little sister’s voice. She really didn’t need to be so persuasive about him watching Sailor Moon with her because 1) Sailor Moon was one of his favorite anime and 2) he loved hanging out with his little sister, no matter what they were doing. Family time was important. “Only for an hour, though, then we have to leave, alright?” Natsu shrugged and jumped up on Shouyou’s bed, facing the laptop his mom set up in the bed. His mom was no longer in the room, probably having left to go spend time with his dad. Shouyou set his school bag down on the floor by his door and joined her. They were in the middle of an episode of Sailor Moon and Shouyou couldn’t remember what exactly happened in the episode, but the scenes were vaguely familiar to him. 

Natsu curled up next to him and the both watched the anime together. Sporadically, Shouyou pulled out his phone and texted his friends. Kageyama was now at Kenma’s childhood home and he’d already embarrassed himself twice. The first time, Kageyama had apparently stuttered and said ‘knife to meet you’ on accident. Also, Kageyama supposedly had misheard Kenma’s mom and accidentally said ‘yes’ when she asked if he was uncomfortable. Shouyou literally busted out laughing when his best friend/roommate told him this, but he also felt bad for Kageyama. It wasn’t his fault that he was so nervous and socially awkward at times. Shouyou replied to Kageyama, telling him to just chillax and be himself because everything would be okay. By the lack of instant reply, Shouyou could only assume that everything was going smoothly now (or, as smoothly as something could go with Kageyama.)  
Kuroo texted him, asking him what time he had to be at the place (also, where exactly _was_ this place, anyway?) When Shouyou answered, Kuroo shot back another text, asking the younger boy what he should wear. ‘Should I be casual, dressy casual???’ Was Kuroo perhaps nervous about this dinner?

**TO: Kuroo**  
Just casual! Why do you ask? Is someone perhaps…nervous? ;)

 

**FROM: Kuroo**  
Pshh, as if! I’ve never been nervous a day in my life.

Shouyou laughed, rolling his eyes. Never nervous, huh? Somehow he couldn’t believe that. 

 

**TO: Kuroo**  
Ha, sure, Jan. Gotta go though! See you later, alligator!  


“Shouyou? Natsu? Are you two ready?” Shouyou’s dad walked into his room, rapping lightly on the open door. Natsu jumped at the sudden, foreign sound and looked up at the door. Shouyou simply nodded and got off of his bed. 

“Yeah, we’re ready, but are you sure you’re ready, Dad? My friends can be…a lot to handle.” 

“Shouyou, I dealt with you during your teenage years. If I can do that, I think I can do anything.” He blushed at his dad’s words, remembering how bad he used to be when he was younger. His dad definitely had room to talk about his behavior because he used to be pretty bad. Ditching class, hanging out with the trouble kids, getting into drugs and alcohol, those were just some of the things he’d dealt with. 

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Shouyou spoke softly, his gaze glued to the floor of his bedroom. There was no denying that Shouyou felt shame for what he did; he was a bad kid and he caused his parents a lot of stress at the time. 

“Sho, don’t worry about it. It’s in the past. Now, let’s go meet these crazy friends of yours, eh?” 

After that, Shouyou snapped back into his normal self. They left the apartment together, Shouyou holding Natsu’s hand as they walked from his place to Ukai’s. The walk wasn’t very long but with Natsu wanting to run off every five seconds, it felt longer. Every time she saw a store that intrigued her, she would pull away from Shouyou and run to go ‘explore’ the store. Shouyou, being quick on his feet, stopped her before she could actually go into any of the stores. He promised that later, after they all ate, he would take her into some of them, just to satisfy her curiosity.  
Ukai’s place was empty, besides Ukai himself and a few of his employees. Talking to his professor’s boyfriend, Shouyou told him they were going to have a lot of people, somewhere in between eight and fifteen people (he wasn’t quite sure who all Suga had invited, but they didn’t have _that many_ friends.) Ukai groaned, but Shouyou could tell that he was happy to see all of the gang again. Before they got seated at a few of the tables, though, Shouyou introduced Ukai to his parents. 

“And this is my little sister, Natsu. Natsu, this is Ukai-san.” He introduced the two, smiling as Natsu shyly waved. 

“Nice to meet you all. Can I get you any drinks?” They all ordered their drinks before waiting for the rest of the people to show up. Daichi and Suga entered first, followed by Tanaka, Asahi, Nishinoya, and Ennoshita. Shouyou had met Tanaka and Nishinoya his first day of university when he had wandered into the wrong dorm room and ended up walking into their shared room. They became friends after that embarrassing incident and later had introduced him to Daichi, Suga, Ennoshita, and Asahi. When he first met Tanaka and Nishinoya, he thought they were dating because they seemed so close but as it turned out, Nishinoya was dating Asahi and Tanaka was straight. 

“Oi, Shouyou! How’s it going, kiddo?” Tanaka walked in, loud and boisterous as usual. Shouyou stood up to hug his friend, saying hello and asking him how he himself had been. The rest of his group of friends said hi, hugging him before he began to introduce them to his family. 

“So this is my mom, Hiroko; my dad, Toshiro, and my little sister, Natsu.” Shouyou pointed at each of his family members as he introduced them before introducing his friends, “Mom, Dad, Natsu, this is Tanaka, Asahi, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, and these two are Daichi and Suga.” 

Shouyou smiled as Suga crouched down to talk to Natsu, his smile bright and wide. Suga was always like that, cheery and good with kids. Shouyou hoped at some point that Suga would get kids of his own so he could be the perfect parent to them. Daichi started talking to Shouyou’s dad and Ennoshita, the dad-in-training, quickly joined the two. Asahi was forced by Nishinoya to talk to Shouyou’s mother, so that meant he was left alone with Tanaka. 

Shouyou checked the time on his phone. 6:05. Kuroo was late. It wasn’t late enough to where he could or would infer that Kuroo ditched him but still in the back of his mind, he had the belief that _somehow_ Kuroo was just playing him. It was so unlikely, he knew, but he couldn’t help the thoughts. Perhaps he was just held up, though? An old lady needed help with her groceries, perhaps? 

“You waiting for someone special, Shouyou-kun?” Tanaka teased loudly, drawing the attention of everyone else. Shouyou’s cheeks blazed in embarrassment as all of his friends and family members stared on at him expectedly. He stayed silent, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he thought about what to say. Daichi and Suga already knew about Kuroo but no one else did and he wasn’t exactly sure how to introduce him. They were friends, but they also fell into the category of maybe being more than friends? But they also weren’t dating? 

“Oooh, Shouyou-kun! You _are_ waiting for someone!” Nishinoya came up to him, teasing the younger boy. The rest of his friends joined in, pestering Shouyou about who he was waiting for. Even his parents joined in, teasingly asking him if he had a boyfriend they weren’t aware of. 

“You’re all so mean. I’m just waiting for a friend,” Shouyou pouted, sitting down at the table. It wouldn’t be such a big deal to anyone else, but Shouyou was easily flustered and his nerves got worked up very quickly. Thinking about how attentive his mom and some of his friends were, Shouyou knew they would recognize what was (or rather, wasn’t) going on with him and Kuroo. He wasn’t quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but either way it would be awkward. He should probably warn Kuroo, just in case…

“Aww, Shouyou-kun, don’t be so salty; we’re just joking. Anyway, who is this person? Tell us about them.” Nishinoya prompted, wiggling his eyebrows in a lewd manner as he sat down across from Shouyou. Everyone else sat down, too, before Shouyou was forced to answer. 

“Ah, well, his name is Kuroo? He rooms with Kenma. He, uh, goes to school here?” As Shouyou was so _eloquently_ describing Kuroo, his phone vibrated. Looking down, he saw a text from the very man he was talking about. “And apparently he’s lost right now.” 

“Didn’t you just say he goes to school here? How could he get lost?” Tanaka’s comment was met with Suga’s deceivingly sweet ‘says the one who got lost on your way to class two weeks ago.’ Ah, Shouyou remembered that. Tanaka had ended up making a group chat with all of them, asking how he could get to the building his class was in from the campus library. Suga had to save the day by sending a picture of the campus map to Tanaka. Nishinoya just made fun of him and ended up making memes of ‘lost Tanaka.’

“Maybe you should find out where he is and then go get him, Sho. He might not be used to this part of town,” His mother suggested softly, gazing at him with that motherly look that said ‘I know what’s really going on but I’m not going to say anything.’ He’d seen that look quite often and his mother was always right when she had that look. He stood up from his seat, saying he’d be back in a few with Kuroo. 

“Onii-chan! Take me with you!” Natsu begged, tugging at his arm. She was out of her chair now, too, with a puppy dog pout on her face. He somewhat wanted to say that she couldn’t come, just so that he could talk to Kuroo alone for a few minutes. The look on her face, though, and the tug he felt in is heart at the thought of possibly making her cry prompted him to say yes. Shouyou made sure it was okay with his parents that he took her before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the restaurant, away from the teasing words of all his friends. 

With his free hand, Shouyou dialed Kuroo’s number, waiting for the ringing to end and for Kuroo to answer the phone. Natsu was standing next to him, obediently staying put where she was supposed to. She looked wide-eyed at all the stores and the people walking around. Shouyou could tell she wanted to run around, to let her energy out, but she was restricting herself. Hopefully tomorrow she’d be able to run around as she so pleased. 

“Shouyou! Thank God, I have no idea where to go? I tried to search for the place on my phone’s GPS but it wouldn’t come up and now I’m more lost than before.” Kuroo’s words spilled out quickly, his breathing coming out labored. Had he been running around, looking for Ukai’s place? Was he that eager? _That’s so adorable,_ Shouyou thought to himself. 

“It’s cool, Kuroo, don’t worry,” He breathed out a laugh, trying to calm the man on the other end. Shouyou couldn’t help but find it endearing that Kuroo was terrible at finding places around the city. “Where are you right now?” 

“Uh, “There was a silent pause as Kuroo (probably) looked around for some sort of indication as to where he was. After a mere few moments, Kuroo’s voice came across the line again, “I don’t see any street signs, but there’s a flower shop right next to ‘Sunshine Bakery’? And it’s across from a coffee shop, I think?”  
“Oh, okay, I know where that is. Stay right there, okay? Natsu and I will come rescue you.” 

“My dashing prince coming to rescue me? How romantic.” Kuroo laughed, a sound that brought a huge smile across Shouyou’s face. His laugh was unique, one of the things that drew Shouyou to the older boy. That laugh could cure any disease, he was sure. It never ceased to make Shouyou feel ten times better. 

As he made his way through the streets with Natsu at his side, he continued talking to Kuroo, “Ha, no. If either of us is the princess, it’s definitely me. You can be the prince, ne, Kuroo?” 

“Ah, of course, Neko-chan, whatever you say.” The two boys continued talking for the entirety of the time before Shouyou had to hang up, telling Kuroo he needed to concentrate on where he was going. The streets were busy (it was a Friday evening, after all) and the street signs were difficult to make out in the nearing darkness. The place Kuroo described was only ten blocks away from Ukai’s places but the city streets could be hard to navigate if one didn’t know them well enough.  
Natsu tugged on Shouyou’s hand, pointing out a flower shop down the street and to the right. His gaze snapped over there where he saw Kuroo leaning against the wall, staring at his phone. His black hair was just as messy as usual, but the tight, black t-shirt with some western band printed on it and the black skinny jeans hugging every curve of his legs were different from what he’d seen Kuroo in before. Today, Kuroo looked more punk than any other time Shouyou had seen him. He found it extremely attractive, not that he was particularly paying attention to it or anything.

“Onii-chan, is that Kuroo-san?” Natsu pointed at the boy down the street from them. Kuroo stood out from the crowd, waiting patiently like that instead of rushing down the street to get to his destination like everyone else, so Shouyou could see how Natsu had singled him out, despite never having met him. Still, he found it quite amazing she was able to deduce that. 

“Yeah that’s-“Before Shouyou could finish his sentence, though, Natsu shot away from him, running through the crowd of people. He saw the flash of her orange hair in the crowd as she ran on the sidewalk. After a moment’s hesitation (and a few inappropriate words), he bolted after her, calling her name in a panic. If she got kidnapped or hit by a car, or something equally horrible, Shouyou didn’t think he could take it. His little sister was his world. He ran quicker, pushing his way through people with no thoughts on apologizing. Natsu was more important than some stranger’s feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola! I hope you liked the chapter! Sorry it's kind of short and mainly filler! I just really wanted to get something out this weekend. As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated. Love you all!  
> Val 
> 
>  
> 
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO: If you guys want to follow me on Tumblr, I made one specifically for my anime obsession. You can follow[ Here ](http://kurohinatrash.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

Kuroo leaned against the wall of the flower shop, eyes locked onto his phone screen as he waited for Shouyou to show up. It had only been a few minutes since Shouyou had hung up, yet he already missed the sound of the ginger boy’s voice. They’d only known each other for a little under a week, but Kuroo really liked Shouyou. At first, he thought Shouyou didn’t like him back because when he flirted with the younger boy, he would always brush the flirtatious words off. After a few days, though, he found out that Shouyou thought he and Bokuto were dating. _He and Bokuto._ Kuroo let out a laugh just at the thought of that; he loved Bokuto but they were simply bros, nothing more. Dating his best bro seemed so…weird.   
When Shouyou found out they weren’t dating, though, he seemed to be a little more responsive to the flirtations on Kuroo’s part. Kuroo hadn’t yet worked up the guts to actually ask Shouyou out, but he was slowly getting there. Maybe even after this dinner with his family and friends, Kuroo would have enough courage to ask Shouyou out. After all, if he could survive a dinner with a bunch of people he didn’t know, he could definitely survive asking a guy out, right? 

While in the middle of his thoughts, Kuroo heard someone down the street scream something. He couldn’t quite make out what was going on, but he could faintly tell that whoever was screaming was screaming someone’s name. Was something going on? Was someone in trouble? Kuroo stepped off the wall, about to go check out what was wrong when he felt something- er, someone?- crash into him. He stumbled back, grasping the wall for more stability. Looking down, he saw a head of orange hair and big brown eyes staring up at him. 

“Are you Kuroo-san?” The little girl spoke up, looking at him. She looked almost exactly like Shouyou did, but smaller and her features were less defined. Her purple jacket stood out against her orange twin ponytails and her small hand tugged at the hem of Kuroo’s shirt. Could this be Shouyou’s little sister? But why would she be here alone?

“Yeah? Are you Shouyou’s little sister?” With his gaze still locked onto the little girl, Kuroo pulled up Shouyou’s contact, ready to dial him. If this was his little sister, she must have run off without him. He was probably running around frantically, searching for her. 

She nodded, “I’m Natsu. Are you and onii-chan friends? He was talking about you. He seems to like you a lot.” 

“Yeah, we’re friends. Did you run off by yourself?” Natsu nodded, looking guilty at this. Well, at least she knew she wasn’t _supposed_ to run off by herself. Kuroo pressed the ‘call’ button and pressed the phone against his ear, “I’m gonna call him, okay? He’s probably worried sick.” 

Kuroo heard what sounded like a sorry come from her before he heard Shouyou’s voice, “Frick, frick, frick- Yeah, what is it?” Shouyou’s voice was panicked, the words rushed and spoken in a high-pitched voice. Kuroo could hear the anxiety, the worry, and beneath all of that the anger. He didn’t think Shouyou was mad at Natsu, but rather angry at himself for having not paid enough attention to Natsu and letting her run off. Everything in Kuroo’s being made him want to placate all of this, to help Shouyou get rid of any and all negative feelings. 

“Sho-chan, calm down, okay? Deep breaths. I have Natsu with me.” Kuroo’s voice was level and soft, soothing the younger boy. On the other end, Kuroo could hear Shouyou let out a sigh of relief. He could practically feel the relief that washed over Shouyou when he said that. 

“Oh God, thank you so much oh my God. I think I just had a heart attack.” He breathed heavily over the phone, his voice soaked in gratitude, “I’ll be right over to you. Keep an eye on her please.” 

“Of course, Sho, see you in a minute.” Kuroo hung up and looked down at the six year old in front of him. Her eyes were watery and she looked like she was on the verge of crying. He crouched down to her level, “Hey, kiddo, what’s wrong?” 

“Onii-chan hates me now, doesn’t he?” Before Kuroo could register what was happening, Natsu had thrown herself into him and started sobbing. _Oh God, what was he supposed to do when someone started crying? Should he hug her? Tell her it was going to be alright? Being an only child really did have its cons when it came to dealing with others’ emotions._

Awkwardly, Kuroo rubbed her back as she cried and tried to calm her with his words, “No, no he doesn’t hate you. He was just really worried. You mean the world to him, ya know? Sho still loves you, Natsu-chan.” 

“I-I’m sorry. I just w-wanted to meet you before-before everyone else. Onii-chan was talking about y-you and he looked so happy and I thought, I thought that it would be nice to meet you, too, and now he’s mad at me!” Natsu stuttered out through her sobs, wrapping her arms around Kuroo. He had no idea why she was this close to him or why she seemed to trust him with her woes, but that trust was sacred and he had no intentions of making her sadder. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Shouyou will understand. After all, he knows just how cool and irresistible I am, yeah?” Kuroo grinned at Natsu, making the little girl burst out in a smiley giggle. “See, there you go! A pretty smile for an even prettier girl!” 

Kuroo calmed Natsu down, joking with her. Shouyou _was_ worried but he’d known him long enough to know that he wasn’t going to hate Natsu or be mad at her for a long time. Kuroo pulled out of his hug with Natsu, calmly talking to her now. She was a cute mini version of Shouyou and Kuroo loved it. 

“Natsu!” A voice broke through their conversation before Natsu got picked up. _Ah, so Shouyou had finally found them._ Kuroo saw how tightly Shouyou was holding Natsu to his chest and he could see the remnants of tears on Shouyou’s pink cheeks. “Oh, thank God you’re okay, kiddo.” 

“I’m sorry, onii-chan. I didn’t mean to worry you. Do you hate me now? Kuroo-san said you wouldn’t hate me, but I know you might.” 

“Aww, Natsu-chan, I don’t hate you. I’m a little mad with you, yes, but I could never hate you,” Shouyou set her down and looked at her in his best stern manner (it wasn’t really that stern, he just looked kind of awkward) “Now, don’t you do that again, okay? You scared me half to death, ya know?” 

“I promise I won’t do it again, onii-chan!” 

“Pinkie promise??” The two siblings interlocked pinkie fingers, grins on their faces. Kuroo watched on silently, adoring the interaction between the two. Shouyou would be such a good dad, he thought with a smile. Wait, what? Why would he be thinking that? _Stop being weird, you idiot_ , Kuroo reprimanded himself. He really needed to stop thinking odd things like that, especially when he wasn’t even dating Shouyou. 

“Kuroo? Hey, yo. What’re you thinking about?” Shouyou snapped his fingers in front of Kuroo’s face, drawing the black-haired boy’s attention. He stood right in front of Kuroo, his face close to Kuroo’s own. 

“Ha, what? Nothing. So, dinner, yeah?” Kuroo grinned, changing the subject. He would’ve said something flirty to embarrass Shouyou and keep him from asking about what Kuroo was thinking but Natsu was right there and he didn’t want to flirt with Sho in front of his little sister. 

Luckily for Kuroo, Shouyou shrugged it off and the three of them made their way to the restaurant. Natsu stuck right by Kuroo’s side, her small hand grasping at the rough, calloused ones of his own as they walked. Shouyou stood on the other side of Kuroo where their fingertips brushed against each other as they walked. In the dim light, Kuroo could make out a light pink dusting on Shouyou’s cheeks every time this happened. _How adorable._

“Thank, uh, thank you for watching over her,” Shouyou spoke softly into Kuroo’s ear, making sure not to let Natsu hear. “It means a lot to me, Kuroo.” Before Kuroo could register what was happening, Shouyou leaned in and quickly planted his lips on the red-hot skin of Kuroo’s cheek. It lasted only a second before Shouyou pulled away and quickened his pace towards the restaurant. _Holy fuck did that just happen?_ He felt the hammering of his heart against his chest, his heart eager to escape its confines in his chest. Shouyou kissed him. He had actually _kissed_ him. It was only on the cheek, but holy fuck??? It had actually happened! Wait. Was this a dream?

Kuroo pinched himself, letting out an ‘ow!’ _Oh, yeah, this was real. This was so real._

 

Shouyou had done it. He’d mustered up the courage to kiss Kuroo and now he couldn’t hear himself thinking over the arrhythmic beating of his heart. He hoped Natsu hadn’t seen anything, and with the angle of how he’d kissed Kuroo, it wasn’t likely that she had. Kuroo, however, was well aware of what happened and that made Shouyou’s heart race and his stomach flutter with butterflies.   
Shouyou walked quickly in front of Kuroo and Natsu, staying far enough away for Kuroo to not be able to see the blush across his face, but also close enough for Kuroo to be able to see him. He heard the two of them talking behind him, Natsu asking Kuroo about his eyebrow piercing ( _Doesn’t it hurt?_ No, not now. _Did you cry getting it in? I cried when Mommy took me to get my ears pierced._ ) Thankfully for him, though, Ukai’s place wasn’t far and they were inside in a few minutes.   
As they entered, Natsu pulled Kuroo with her over to their table, making him sit in the (coincidentally) empty seat next to her. Shouyou trailed after them now, walking up to the table full of his family and friends with a smile on his face, “Hey, guys. Sorry it took so long. But, ah, this is my friend, Kuroo Tetsurou. Kuroo, this is my mom, Hiroko; my dad, Toshiro; and, these are my friends: Daichi, Suga, Tanaka, Nishinoya, Asahi, and Ennoshita.” Shouyou introduced, gesturing to each person as he named them. It wasn’t likely that Kuroo would remember all of their names after being introduced to such a large group, but it was the sentiment that really mattered here. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Kuroo grinned with a wave at everyone. A chorus of ‘nice to meet you’s came out before the conversation started up again. Natsu was in between him and Kuroo so he couldn’t really talk to the older boy without interrupting them. On the other side of Kuroo sat Shouyou’s mom, making him a little nervous. He wanted her approval of Kuroo before he did anything romantic with him (well, more romantic than a simple cheek kiss.) Ukai came over shortly after to take their orders, interrupting the smooth flow of conversation. 

“So, Kuroo-san, tell me, what do you do?” Shouyou’s mom spoke up, her voice soft and inviting. He was glad she was being so kind to Kuroo (not that she was ever _mean_ to anyone but he just had heard lots of stories of parents being mean to their kids’ friends, particularly when they didn’t approve of them.) Shouyou heard Ennoshita talking to Asahi and Daichi about something in the background, but his focus was on Kuroo and his mother. He wanted everything to go smoothly and if that meant he had to watch over everything that happened, he would do that. 

“Ah. I’m here at the university studying to become a music teacher. I also work over at a record store near my apartment on the other side of town.” 

“Oh, a music teacher? How nice! What grade levels are you hoping to teach, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

“I really want to teach in elementary schools. I love kids and nurturing a passion for music at such a young age just really appeals to me, ya know? I could potentially shape the lives of a generation.” The passion in his heart about music was shown in the light of his usually dark eyes. That look was beautiful, Shouyou thought, it made the boy look so much happier and seeing the black haired boy like that made Shouyou’s heart throb. God, he wanted to see that look every day, 

“Oh, that’s quite an honorable reason, Kuroo-san.” Suga butted in, a smile wide across his features. Suga looked over at Shouyou, winking at him, “Quite a nice _friend_ you got yourself, Sho-chan.” 

“Why, yes, I do have to agree with you, Suga-san. Kuroo-san is incredibly nice, a very respectable choice for a friend.” Shouyou’s mother laughed, winking at the grey-haired boy on the other side of the table. Shouyou blushed a light red, the rest of the people at the table looking over at them curiously. Kuroo laughed their suspicions off, thanking them for their compliments right as the food got to the table. 

The rest of the dinner went smoothly enough. For the most part, none of Shouyou’s friends embarrassed him too badly and nobody out rightly mentioned how flustered Shouyou got when Kuroo vaguely flirted with him at times. Kuroo ended up getting along swimmingly with everyone throughout the night and all of his friends seemed to enjoy Kuroo as well. The older boy was able to laugh and joke with everyone, including Shouyou’s dad, which was a nice surprise. His dad was usually on the quiet, reserved side and he was over-protective over his only son, so him getting along with Kuroo meant more to Shouyou than could ever begin to describe. After roughly two hours together, their group began to split up. Soon, Kuroo and the Hinata family were the only ones left. 

“Ah, well, it’s getting late. I should probably start heading back to my place.” Kuroo pushed his chair back, getting up from the seat. Next to him, Natsu jumped up from her own chair, grabbing onto her hand with a yelled, ‘wait!’ “Hmm, what’s wrong, Nattchan?” 

Natsu looked back and forth from her older brother to Kuroo before starting, “Uh, Onii-chan, can Kuroo-san come with us tomorrow? To the aquarium?” 

“Oh? I thought you just wanted to hang out with Onii-chan tomorrow?” Shouyou teased gently, winking at his little sister. Natsu blushed and mumbled something under her breath about Kuroo being cooler than him. Shouyou clutched dramatically at his chest, “Oh, Natsu-chan, how you wound me so!” 

“Natsu, apologize to your brother for hurting his feelings.” Their mother ordered, her lips still upturned in a smile. Natsu let out a small, sarcastic apology before asking Kuroo directly if he would come to the aquarium with the two of them. 

“I would love to go,” Kuroo gave her his signature wide, cat-like grin before turning to Shouyou, “Of course, only if that’s okay with you, Sho-chan.” 

“Ha, of course it’s good with me. I can text you the details later tonight, yeah?” 

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow, Nattchan, Sho-chan.” Kuroo leaned down and hugged Natsu before saying goodbye to their parents and turning away to leave. _Wow, no hug for him?_ Shouyou couldn’t help the slight twinge of jealousy and he definitely couldn’t stop himself from saying, “What, no hug for me?” 

The older boy spun around on his heel and sauntered back over to Shouyou. “Sorry, Neko-chan,” He whispered in his ear as he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, pulling him into a tight hug. Shouyou could feel the heat rising from his body, collecting in his face. Before Shouyou could even hug him back, Kuroo was already pulling away and leaving, yelling his goodbyes once more as he walked backwards in the direction of his apartment. 

The Hinata family made their way back to Shouyou’s apartment. Natsu was well-behaved the entire time, sticking close to the rest of the family and excitedly chattering with their parents about different things. Shouyou was left alone to his own thoughts, his mind clearing through the walk. Kuroo was coming with the two of them tomorrow and that meant he’d have to stop himself from doing anything else as gutsy as kissing the boy on the cheek. He loved that Kuroo and Natsu got along so well; it was a sign that any upcoming relationship with Kuroo would go over well with his little sister. Now, he just needed to see how well his parents liked the other boy and how they would react to Shouyou (possibly) asking Kuroo to go out with him.   
The night air felt brisk against his bare skin, making him wish he’d brought a jacket like his mom had warned him to do. His mom noticed him shiver and looked at him with that ‘I told you so’ look she’d so perfectly mastered before hooking an arm around Shouyou’s neck and pulling him close. He melted into her touch, having missed the maternal comfort. Yes, he was twenty and technically an adult, but the soothing touch of his mother was something he’d missed and also something that he would definitely take advantage of. 

“I love you, Mommy.” He muttered, resting his head lightly against her shoulder. Being away from home was liberating and fun, but not having his mom around to comfort him all the time, guide him through the hard times, was the absolute _worst_. If he hadn’t met Suga, his surrogate mother at university, he wouldn’t have even made it through the first semester. 

“I love you, too, Sho.” She ruffled his orange hair playfully, smiling down at him. They continued their walk back to his apartment this way, Natsu talking with their dad and Shouyou resting his head on the warm shoulder of their mother. When they got back in, it was time for Natsu to get a bath and get ready for bed. Usually their mother or Shouyou would do it, but their father insisted on getting Natsu ready. Looking back, their mother had probably said something about talking to Shouyou privately because as soon as the bathroom door shut, she was dragging Shouyou into his room to talk. “So, you like that Kuroo boy, huh?” 

“Mom!” Shouyou groaned, wishing he could hide his face in a pillow so she wouldn’t see the guilt written across his face. 

“Ha, you do! Don’t even try denying it, it’s written across your face, kiddo.” She laughed, ruffling his hair again. Shouyou looked up at her, his eyes searching hers for some kind of indication of what she thought about his crush on Kuroo. “I think he’d be good for you, Shouyou. He’s the kind of guy you need. Unlike those other boys.” 

“Gwahhh!! You like him? You’d approve of us going out with each other?” Shouyou was ecstatic. This was it. This was the approval he’d been waiting for; this was what he would need to take that final leap and ask Kuroo out. He just needed to hear the words come straight out of his mother’s mouth and that would be it. 

“Of course, Sho. Just remember, use protection.” She winked at him, ruffled his hair once more and walked right out of the room, leaving Shouyou there alone. Unable to stand still with the amount of pure joy and excitement coursing through him, Shouyou jumped up and down, giggling. With his mom’s approval of Kuroo, he could get right to the hard part: figuring out how to ask him out without making himself look like an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola! So I'm actually on schedule for this update-how great! I've actually had this written out for a couple of days but I've had lots of exams and I even started driving again. Also, I started teaching Spanish at an elementary school every week and it's really fun but it's kind of exhausting, too. ANYWAY, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Kudos and comments are always much appreciated!! Love you guys!   
> Val <3
> 
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
> *cough*[My Tumblr ](http://kurohinatrash.tumblr.com/)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi...it's been two weeks...I'm sorry...

Shouyou was awoken the next morning by the ringing of his phone and Natsu jumping on him excitedly. The night before the two of them had played board games with each other until the late night/early morning. They would have stopped playing earlier by Shouyou was determined to beat her at least once. At every game they played, she’d won. It wasn’t until around two am when Natsu was too tired to focus on the game at hand that Shouyou finally won (he partially suspected that she had let him win, but pushed that thought to the back of his mind at the time). Now, Natsu was surprisingly energetic and excited for the upcoming day. Ah, he could definitely relate to that; he was getting to hang out with his sister, go to the aquarium, and hang out with Kuroo. It was a triple win for him, honestly. 

“Onii-chan, wake up! It’s time to get ready to go!” Natsu jumped up and down on the bed, shaking Shouyou, He let out a laugh and turned over, facing his little sister. She was still in her pajamas, the cute, pink bears staring back at him. Her hair was messy, put up in twin ponytails with strands hanging out all over the place. It reminded him of when he was still in high school and it would storm and Natsu would come crawling into bed with him. He sighed as he felt the nostalgia wash over him. The only time that anyone crawled into bed with him anymore was when Kageyama got worried about him repeating his actions from their late high school years. Oh, and sometimes when Daichi was really busy with his school work, Suga would come over and nap/cuddle with him. Platonic cuddling was something very prominent in Shouyou’s life. 

“Ah, yeah, I’ll be up in a minute, kiddo. Why don’t you go wake Mommy up?” He suggested, resting his weary head against the pillow. If only he’d had five more minutes to sleep, he would have been perfectly fine. Now, he was groggy and just wanted to sleep for ten more hours.

“Mommy’s already awake! She made breakfast for us so you have to get up right now and come eat! Then we’re going to the AQUARIUM!!!” On the last word, she raised her voice in an excited, almost-scream. Before Shouyou could say anything more, their mom was calling them into the kitchen to come eat. Begrudgingly, Shouyou got out of bed and followed after his sister into the kitchen. Both of their parents sat at the table already, leaving just enough space for Natsu and Shouyou to come eat. His mom had made pancakes with eggs and fresh fruit for breakfast. Shouyou sat next to his sister and thanked his mom for cooking before digging in.

“Mmm, this is so good, Mom. I didn’t even know I had these,” Shouyou complimented, biting into a piece of strawberry. He savored the natural sweetness of the fruit and the amazing taste left behind on his palate. Strawberry was one of his favorite foods and combined with the soft, fluffiness of the pancake, it was obviously number one.

“That’s because you didn’t,” She smiled warmly at him, “I know they’re your favorite so I had your father go out and buy some fresh ones.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet! Thanks, you two! Love you!” Shouyou leaned over and hugged both of his parents before sitting back down in his seat. Breakfast was short and filled with chatter about everything that had happened while he’d been at University. His father had gotten a promotion along with a salary raise at his job working at a publishing company. His mom had redecorated the house a few times, buying new furniture to go along with it. Natsu, of course, had been doing well at school and was making many new friends. Overall, Shouyou felt pride in his family and also a sense of sadness that he wasn’t there to share in the accomplishments of his family.

They ended breakfast at around 8:30 and Shouyou’s mom went to give Natsu a bath and get her ready to go out with Kuroo and him. Shouyou waited out in the living room, talking with his dad.

“So, that boy, Kuroo-san, was it? Do you like him in a…boyfriend kind of way?” His dad casually brought his mug of coffee up to his lips, sipping from it as he raised an eyebrow suggestively. Shouyou choked on nothing, a blush spreading across his face. Seeing as his mom already knew, it wasn’t unlikely that his dad knew but it still surprised him. His dad had never been so blunt about something like this before.

“Ah, how-how’d you know? Did Mom tell you?”

“She didn’t need to,” His father laughed heartily, “It was written across your face the moment he was brought up, Sho.”

“Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing. Do you think everyone could tell? Was I that obvious?” Shouyou chewed on his bottom lip, nervous rambling. Across from him in the living room, his dad let out another chuckle before telling his son to calm down and relax himself. Even if they had noticed, he said, they were his friends and it shouldn’t really matter. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”

“I’m not right. I’m _dad_.” He laughed at his own joke and Shouyou rolled his eyes at the classic dad joke. He’d been hearing those terrible jokes and even worse puns since he was born and he’d come to love them (Even if he didn’t act like he did). “Sorry, kiddo. I know that was bad. I’m gonna be honest with you, though, okay? That Kuroo kid seems good for you and I will support your decision if you decide to date him. However, if he ever makes you cry, I will kill him.” His father smiled innocently, cracking his knuckles. Shouyou let out a laugh: his father was much too soft to ever kill anyone. At most, he’d probably get someone to beat up one of his boyfriends.

“Sure, dad. I think Kageyama already has that covered.”

“Ah, yes, I remember when you were in high school and that one boy-was his name Shiro? - he made you cry so Kageyama went to “talk” to him. And if I recall correctly, Shiro was never seen again…” Shouyou’s father trailed off mysteriously.

“Oh my God, dad, Kageyama didn’t actually kill him! He just punched him in the face and then Shiro moved to live with his grandma a week later.” Shouyou groaned, correcting his father. He could just imagine his dad telling Kuroo that story with the same mysterious ending, acting as though Kageyama had actually made some boy disappear for making Shouyou cry. If there was anything that could scare Kuroo off, that would probably be it.

“Mm, sure, if that’s the story he told the police…”

An hour and a hot shower later, Shouyou was ready to go. His hair was styled out of his face, a soft pink bow holding back the longer strands that would normally fall into his eyes. His makeup was soft and appeared natural, but still gave off that ‘wow’ effect, especially paired with today’s outfit of choice: a flowy, light blouse with pink roses printed on it, a pleated plain pink skirt that came to about just before his knees, and cute panda stockings that came up to meet his skin where the skirt stopped, all matching perfectly with his favorite pair of off-white sneakers.  
Shouyou grabbed his small, flower-patterned backpack off of the ground by his door, checking inside to make sure he had everything he needed. Water? Check. Camera? Check. Chapstick? Yup, both mango and cherry. He made sure he had his phone charger in his backpack and that he had a few snacks in there (hey, he got hungry pretty easily) before heading out of his room to meet up with his family in the living room. Natsu was practically bouncing off the walls, her twin ponytails moving in sync with her hair. She was wearing her favorite purple shirt with a car printed on it and a pair of shorts since the weather was supposed to be nice and hot. Briefly, he wondered if he should bring sunscreen and then it hit him that they would be inside for the majority of the day. Sunscreen wouldn’t be needed for their excursion to the aquarium. “Hey, you ready, kiddo?” Shouyou grinned, bending down in front of her. She nodded, her smile wide. “Good! We’ll leave in a minute, then, okay?” 

“Sho, remember, if you need anything, you can call us.” His mother reminded him, her voice soft and caring. 

“Ah, of course. You two have fun while we’re gone, just not too much fun, okay?” Shouyou joked. His parents were apparently going to go on a date while he took Natsu to the aquarium. They hadn’t been on a date in months, since they hadn’t wanted to get Natsu a babysitter and they hadn’t had Shouyou there to watch her anymore. He was glad his parents got the chance to go out on a date now, though; they’d been so busy raising him and then Natsu that they’d never had time for themselves and they definitely deserved that much needed alone time. 

Shouyou and Natsu said goodbye to their parents before Shouyou took Natsu’s hand in his own, leading her out the door. Kuroo had texted him that morning, telling him that he would meet them outside of the aquarium at half past ten. It was just now nearing ten when the two of them left so by the time they got to the aquarium, Kuroo was already there and it was five minutes past their originally scheduled meeting time. Shouyou felt bad for being late and making Kuroo wait, but after looking at Kuroo, all worries drifted from his mind. 

Kuroo was leaning against the manatee statue outside of the aquarium and oh gosh, he looked so good. He had on a light grey button up, with the sleeves rolled up to this elbows. The little bit of skin that was exposed from his elbow to his wrist showcased the black ink, sticking out against his lightly tanned skin. The sunglasses he wore covered his beautiful dark eyes, but over the top of them perked out the metallic black ring placed in his eyebrow. His black hair was messy, seemingly as though he’d just rolled out of bed without doing anything to it. 

“Onii-chan, can I go say hi?” Natsu tugged on Shouyou’s arm, looking up at him with wide eyes and a half pout. He let out a short giggle before nodding and letting go of her hand. She bolted off, going directly to Kuroo. Shouyou watched as she let out a scream of his name and jumped into him. Masking his surprise, Kuroo quickly picked her up and hugged her. Shouyou watched the two talk energetically to one another as he made his way over to them. 

“Hey there, mind if I third wheel?” He joked, coming to a stop a few feet in front of Kuroo. 

Kuroo lifted his head up to let out a witty retort but it got caught in his throat as he saw the boy across from him. “Oh, uh, wow. You look-uh, yeah.”  
“Onii-chan is pretty, isn't he, Kuroo-san?” Natsu giggled, poking Kuroo in the cheek. 

“Yeah, pretty. That’s totally what I was going to say…” Shouyou blushed at the compliment, his eyes twinkling in happiness. Kuroo thought he was pretty and for some reason that made his heart swell. 

Shouyou smiled and choked out a, “Thank you.” before he suggested that they go inside of the aquarium. First, though, they had to go buy tickets to get inside. The three of them walked to the ticket booth (well, Kuroo was still carrying Natsu so she technically wasn't walking) and Shouyou pulled his wallet out of his backpack and walked up to the ticket booth attendee, ordering two adult tickets and one child’s. As Shouyou went to pay the man, his hand was gently knocked away. Looking up, Shouyou saw that Kuroo had already pulled out his cash and was handing it to the attendee. “Kuroo, what are you doing?” 

“Paying, obviously, Neko-chan.” Kuroo winked, smiling at the younger boy. Shouyou went to protest this but before he could get any words out, the attendee had already given them the three tickets and told them to enjoy their day at the aquarium. Without anymore words spoken between them, they walked inside the aquarium. It was wide open and glass windows lined the enclose room. A small crowd of little kids were lingering around the entry hall with their parents. The noise level of the entryway was a little too loud for anyone’s enjoyment and they couldn’t quite hear themselves talking to each other. Natsu’s eyes were wide with wonder and excitement, her pupils practically blown. She whispered to Kuroo, asking her to let him down. He did so and they walked into the first hallway, where the freshwater fish were supposed to be. Hundreds of different colored fish swam around, entrancing the trio. Natsu ran up and almost pressed her hand to the front of the glass, separating her from the thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of fish. 

Shouyou pulled his camera out of his backpack, quickly snapping a picture of the way she looked at the cute fish. Her eyes showed her adoration perfectly and the way her mouth was held open in an ‘o’ shape gave the impression of her genuine pleasure. Shouyou loves the way she was so interested in these fish, especially since they were only the first they’d seen so far. With this incredible photo, he would be able to remember this moment for years to come, even after his own memory failed him. 

“Oi, Shouyou,” Kuroo called out to the younger boy. Shouyou looked over to where Kuroo stood by the pane of glass. “Watch this.” Kuroo got close up to the glass before puffing his cheeks out like a pufferfish. His lips were pressed together in a thin pout, his hands pressed against his face, wiggling as though they were the gills of a fish. Shouyou let out a loud laugh, quickly pulling his camera back up to his face and focusing the picture before snapping the photo. He looked at the finished result and grinned; Kuroo looked like such a dork. It was adorable. 

“Ya know, I used to think you were this super hot sex god or something, but now I know the truth: you are a giant dork, Kuroo-san.” Shouyou laughed at him. 

“Onii-chan, what’s a ‘sex god’? Is that like the God we pray to?” Natsu turned around, momentarily distracted from the fish. Shouyou choked on the intake of his breath, wondering what he should say. He hadn’t thought she was listening, but as he should know after six years, little sisters were always listening when you least expected it. 

“Yeah, it is, but we worship these kinds of gods in a much different way than the big man upstairs. You’ll find out about it when you’re older and neck deep in taxes.” Kuroo explained, patting her head gently. Natsu giggled and asked what taxes were. As they walked to the next display tank, Kuroo laughed and replied, “Taxes are why I have to eat instant ramen every night.”

“Woah, that’s really bad for you, Kuroo-san. You should have Onii-chan make you dinner!! He’s a really good cook!” Natsu ran up to the next display, full of some type of dark fish. She watched them all in utter awe. 

“Oh ho ho? Neko-chan, you never told me you’re a good cook.” Kuroo smirked, wrapping an arm around Shouyou and pulling him close, “Natchan is right, ya know. You should make dinner for me sometime, save my poor body from the terrible health that comes along with instant ramen daily.” 

“Mmm, you never asked if I’m a good cook. But ya know, Kuroo-san, if you wanted to ask me on a date, you could have said so sooner.”

“Oh? Would you have said yes, then?” Kuroo leaned in closer, tantalizingly so. Their faces were so close, close enough to where Shouyou could feel the warmth radiating from Kuroo. Their lips were centimeters from touching. If he moved just a little bit, Shouyou could probably feel them against his own...Deliciously tempting though that was, he knew this wasn’t the right place to kiss Kuroo for the first time. He was out with his little sister right now and he needed to act appropriately for that. 

“Well, we’ll never know now.” Shouyou shrugged, winking at the older boy next to him before backing away and going over to Natsu. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he thought of how _close_ he’d just been to the guy he definitely had a crush on. Sure, he’d kissed Kuroo on the cheek yesterday but that could be taken as a friendly gesture, couldn't it? After all, Suga had kissed him on the cheek plenty of times and he was dating Daichi, so it didn’t mean anything then. But this time was different. They were close enough to kiss each other on the _lips_. That was definitely not something that just friends did. 

“Onii-chan, kook at the fishies!! They’re looking right at me!! They must like me!!” Natsu giggled happily, waving at the fish in the tank. The three of them continued on throughout the aquarium, all of them looking excitedly at the different aquatic life the aquarium had to offer. They even had penguins, which Shouyou fell in love with. The way they waddled around awkwardly and the way they swam gracefully through the water reminded him of Kuroo. On the outside, Kuroo seemed super cool, like those popular kids (aka the penguin swimming) but inside, Kuroo was just a big, adorable dork who sometimes tripped over his own legs (aka the penguin waddling). It was nearing one thirty when they came to the other end of the aquarium, where the dolphin show was. 

“Onii-chan, Kuroo-san, can we pretty please go watch the dolphin show?” She looked up at both of them pleadingly, her little sister skills coming in handy to persuade them to agree to her plead. 

“Of course, Natchan, let’s go in and get a seat, yeah?” Kuroo held out one of his hands to her and the other he held out to Shouyou. Natsu quickly took his hand and moved to go into the stadium-like area where the show was being held, but ‘Kuroo wouldn’t budge. He only looked at Shouyou expectantly, his hand held out. “C’mon, Neko-chan, are you afraid to hold my hand in public?” 

“Pshh, I’m not afraid of _anything_ , Kuroo-san.” And with those words, Shouyou placed his hand in Kuroo’s larger one before lacing their fingers together and pulling him towards the area designated for the dolphin shows. Holding Kuroo’s hand felt...nice. He was terrified that his palms would be sweaty because he was so nervous but he forced himself to forget those thoughts; thinking about something would only ensure that that thing would happen. For now, he would just focus on how nice Kuroo’s fingers felt against his hand. 

The three of them entered to find the majority of the seats in the front row filled. Seeing as the show was going to start in only a few minutes and it was one of the more popular attractions at the aquarium (petting the stingrays was also very popular), it wasn’t surprising in the least. There were two open seats in the fourth row, at the very end. They could definitely fit there if Natsu sat in one of their laps. If not, they’d have to sit towards the far back where it would be difficult to see the dolphins doing tricks. 

“Natchan, are you okay with sitting on my lap?” Shouyou asked, looking over at his little sister. Natsu nodded and the three of them made their way over to the two empty seats. Kuroo sat down first and then Shouyou and Natsu sat on Shouyou’s lap. Kuroo and Natsu were no longer holding hands, but he and Kuroo still had their fingers interlocked and he would be lying if he said it didn’t feel good. They sat there like that for a few minutes before one of the dolphin trainers came out to start the show. As the dolphins started doing tricks, Shouyou had a hard time seeing over the almost two meter tall guy in front of him. And if he was having trouble…

“Onii-chan, I can’t see!” Natsu tugged on his arm. _Gosh, now he’d have to ask that hulking guy to move so Natsu could see._ Just as he was about to say something to the guy in front of them, Kuroo swooped in and saved the day for him, “Natchan, wanna sit on my shoulders?” 

Of course, Natsu agreed rapidly and before he knew it, Kuroo was lifting her up to sit on his shoulders. Shouyou looked behind them to make sure they weren’t blocking anyone else’s view (that would just be plain rude) but all of the seats behind Kuroo were empty, so it didn’t matter anyway. Throughout the show, Shouyou took pictures and videos of Kuroo and Natsu on his camera. He loved how comfortable Natsu was with Kuroo and in turn how confident that made him feel about his feelings for Kuroo. 

After they’d been through everything the aquarium had to offer, the three of them got lunch at the restaurant Kuroo had taken him to their first time meeting. The same boy from last time, Akaashi, was working there and waited on them. Throughout their lunch, Natsu was excitedly recalling all of the cool things she had seen. Even though they’d all seen the same animals, it was quite refreshing to hear them described in such an optimistic child’s words. Eventually, though, Natsu’s energy decreased and Kuroo ended up having to carry her back to Shouyou’s apartment (Shouyou definitely could have done it, but Kuroo was insistent that he needn’t strain himself with carrying his backpack and Natsu). On the walk home, Shouyou longed to hold Kuroo’s hand again, to touch him once more. It was addicting, honestly. 

“Thanks, Kuroo, for everything today. It was honestly really fun and I’m glad you came with us.” Shouyou smiled, blushing slightly. 

“I’m glad you invited me. You and your sister are so adorable.” Kuroo gestured to the ginger currently asleep on his back, chuckling. 

“Oh, I should probably get her inside and get her in bed for a nap.” Shouyou picked Natsu off from Kuroo’s back and held her in his arms. “Bye, Kuroo. See you later.” Shouyou pecked his cheek before opening the door to his apartment and walking in. 

Shouyou quickly walked to his room and set Natsu on his bed, covering her with a blanket. His parents weren’t back yet, so he sat down next to her and thought about his day. It was perfect, honestly. Kuroo was so amazing and thoughtful and nice and he wanted to spend more and more days with him. He should have asked him out, should have kissed him. He should have done so many things. Regret filled him, his mind racing with thoughts. Maybe he should do something…  
Before his mind could register what he was doing, he kissed Natsu’s forehead and ran out the door of his apartment, locking it behind him. Hopefully he could still catch Kuroo if he ran…

“Kuroo! Wait up!” Shouyou called out as he saw a glimpse of that messy black hair he’d become so familiar with walking down the street. The figure turned around quickly and Shouyou ran up to them. “Kuroo!” 

“Sho? Hey, what’s wrong, Sho-chan?” Kuroo rested his hands on Shouyou’s shoulder, his eyes alight with worry. 

“Dinner, my place, next weekend?” He breathed out quickly, his heart racing from nervousness and also the running he’d just done. 

“Wait, are you asking me out on a date?” Kuroo looked at Shouyou in surprise, a half-smirk resting on his lips. 

“Yes, yes I am. You like me, right? And obviously I like you, too. So we should go on a date, right? Isn’t that how these things usually work?” Shouyou looked up at Kuroo nervously, a blush across his face. If he’d gotten all of this wrong and Kuroo actually didn’t like him, this would be so embarrassing. He was putting his entire heart on the line right here and he hoped like heck that Kuroo felt the same way as him. He wished with all his heart that Kuroo wanted to kiss him, to go out with him numerous times, maybe to even _date_ him. Why, that was his ultimate dream. 

“God, you are so adorable, Neko-chan.” The taller black-haired boy laughed and Shouyou felt his cheeks heating up even more. Did that mean he liked him, too? Or was this gonna be like that moment in Frozen where Hans and Anna are about to kiss? His palms were sweaty as his thoughts rambled on nervously. Before Shouyou could ask him about his response, Kuroo’s hand was moving up to his face, gently holding it with his palm. He looked deep into the ginger’s eyes, searching for the distinct sparkle of something he couldn’t describe in them. Something that made him feel oh so loved. “Can I kiss you now, Shouyou?” 

“Holy moly, I thought you’d never ask.” As Kuroo bent down to kiss the shorter boy, Shouyou leaned up on his tip toes and met him halfway. Their kiss was a little awkward (both of them were awkward people who were incredibly nervous at the moment) and unrefined but to them, it felt like magic. Shouyou felt the warmth against his own lips, a warmth that made him feel like he was finally coming home to somewhere he’d never been before. Kissing Kuroo was magic and he couldn’t help but think that _dang, he could definitely get used to this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here this is!! Sorry I didn't have it out sooner I was sick last week and also just really lazy. I hope you liked the update though!!! If you have any thoughts or suggestions about it, feel free to let me know!!! 
> 
> Hope you all have a wonderful day/night!!!  
> ~Val 
> 
> [ Hinata's Blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's Blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And ya know, if ya wanna follow me.... you can do that [](http://kurohinatrash.tumblr.com/>%20here%20</a>)
> 
>  
> 
> *** Edit Notice: Okay so I had to rush the last bit yesterday but I just edited it so it's more detailed and less...rushed. Hope you enjoy!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frick, I know it's been way too long I'm so sorry guys but I hope you enjoy this.

When Shouyou pulled away from the kiss, he was breathless. “I-I should really get going. I left Natsu alone in the apartment.” 

Kuroo nodded and let go of the younger boy reluctantly. He kissed Shouyou’s cheek softly, “I’ll see you later, then, Neko-chan. Text me about the details of our date, yeah?” 

Shouyou nodded happily, “Of course. Bye, Kuroo.” With those words, Shouyou stood up on his tippy toes once more and swiftly pressed his lips to Kuroo’s own. This kiss was shorter, but it still held the same amount of emotion as the previous one. He felt emotions he’d not felt in awhile swell up inside of him. God, kissing Kuroo like this was a dream come true. He pulled away again, smiling up at the older boy, “Next Saturday, 5 o'clock, my place! See you then, Kuroo!!” 

Shouyou turned away and skipped back to his apartment. Once he was inside, Shouyou leaned against the back of the door, calming his emotions down. He’d finally asked Kuroo on a date. This was actually happening. They’d _actually_ kissed. Today was such an amazing day, he never wanted it to end. Of course, that was untrue. He wanted it to end so it could be Saturday already and he could be on his date with Kuroo. 

As he sat there, Shouyou let out a happy giggle. This was big news and he felt like he had to definitely share it with those close to him and share it he did. Overexcited, Shouyou pulled out his phone to first compose a tweet, ‘Guess who just got a date for next weekend? (Hint: It’s me!)’ Then, he texted all of his crow friends in the group chat, telling them he’d gotten a date with a very cute boy that they may or may have not already met. 

**FROM: Tanaka-senpai**  
Oh, is it that emo kid from last night?

**FROM: Rolling Thunder**  
Ofc it is, Ryuu. We all saw those eyes Sho-chan was giving him. 

**FROM: Tanaka-senpai**  
Ohh yeah!!! The *mmm baby why dont you come on over and ill show you a good time* eyes  
Classic

**FROM: Dadchi**  
Stop talking about my son that way it’s weird.  
And Sho, you’re not allowed to date until you’re 35 your mother and I have discussed this. 

**FROM: SugaMomma <3 **  
Ne, Sho-chan, have you two ;) yet?

**FROM: Dadchi**  
KOUSHI!!!!!!! NOT WITH OUR CHILD!!!!

**FROM: Tanaka-senpai and Rolling Thunder**  
LMAO SAVAGE SUGA  
But Sho did you two ;) yet????

**FROM: Asahi**  
Congrats, Sho!! Hope your date goes well!! 

**TO: Asahi**  
Thanks, Asahi! I do too! I really like this guy and Natsu seems to like him, too, so I’m really thinking it should go well!!

Shouyou replied only to Asahi, his nice sentiments felt deeply by the younger boy. Daichi’s response was okay, too, so he decided upon going back and replying to Daichi ( _Don’t worry, Dad, we just kissed._ ) Suga, Tanaka, and Noya’s responses were too weird and they made him feel slightly uncomfortable and embarrassed. Sex wasn’t a thing that he was worried about at this stage in his life; he’d tried that and it just didn’t fit him. With Kuroo, too, he could feel that they had something so much greater than sexual attraction (because first of all, Kuroo was a giant nerd and secondly, Kuroo hung out with his sister so obviously he wasn’t just in it for something like that). The two of them, they _clicked_ in a way that Shouyou had never felt before. 

“Onii-chan?” He heard Natsu’s soft voice moments later. He looked up to see her in front of him in the entryway, a yawn escaping her mouth, “Where’d you go?” 

“Oh, kiddo, I, um, Kuroo-san forgot something so I went to make sure he got it.” Shouyou’s face flushed a dark red as he not quite so smoothly lied to his sister. Well, it wasn’t really a lie, perhaps. Kuroo _had_ forgotten to give him a goodbye kiss, so of course Shouyou had to go and give it to him, right? It was only what any respectable person would do. “I thought you were asleep, Natsu?”

“No, I couldn't sleep when you left.” Natsu sat down on Shouyou’s lap, resting her head against his chest and yawning softly. He smiled down at the top of her head . Natsu was such an adorable little sister. He was so glad that the three of them had been able to go to the aquarium and have fun together. Maybe next time his family came to visit, they could do something like that again. Well, hopefully then Kuroo would be his boyfriend. Oh how nice that would be...

As Natsu napped against his chest, Shouyou closed his eyes and started to think about things. His family was going back home tomorrow and he probably wouldn't see them for a few more moths until his next break from University. Also, he had a story due for Creative Writing on Monday and he'd yet to even _start_ it. As he thought about the story an what he could write, an idea popped into his brain. _Oh, yes, he could do that it._ If he wrote that, it wouldn't be terribly cliche and he could make it appeal to himself personally. It was perfect. 

Shouyou carefully stood up, still holding a sleeping Natsu in his arms. He carried the small girl into his room and tucked her into the covers with a kiss to the forehead. Grabbing his laptop from its charging spot, Shouyou sat down on the floor, resting his back against the wall. He turned his phone off, ignoring the plethora of messages from the Karasuno group chat and whoever else had texted him. He was in work mode and nothing could distract him at the moment. 

He started typing, the words flowing from his fingertips as if they were simply an extension of himself, of his thoughts. 

Two hours and over two pages later, Shouyou was emailing the assignment to Takeda-sensei. Along with the attachment of the story was a short message to his professor:  
Sensei,

I wanted to thank you for asking me to partake in the writing competition. It seems like a great opportunity and I can tell you now what my final decision is: I'm in. Please contact me with further details.  
Thank you,  
Hinata Shouyou

After he was 100% sure that he'd sent the essay to the right email address (his first year he'd mixed up the email address for one of his professors and sent it to the wrong one and he ended up getting a zero on that assignment, so he definitely wasn't going to make that mistake again). Shouyou closed the lid of his laptop. He picked his phone up from beside him on the floor and turned it on, instantly receiving messages. 

**FROM: Kags**  
-Oi, you're going out with Kuroo now?  
-Why didn't you tell me?  
-I had to find out from KENMA that my best friend is going out with my boyfriend's best friend.  
-Oi, answer me, asshole.  
-When I get back, I'm kicking your ass. 

**FROM: Kuroo <3 **  
-Neko-chan, I didn't tell you but you looked practically delectable today. can't wait to see you next week ;)  
-I think Kageyama is going to kill me????  
-*image attached* As if I would ever hurt my precious Neko-chan smh who does he think I am

Shouyou opened up Kuroo’s message and clicked on the photo to enlarge it. It was a screenshot of messages from Kageyama (or at least he hoped that’s who was saved as ‘Kenma’s BOIIII’ in Kuroo’s phone). The messages started off pretty calmly until Kuroo said something about kissing Shouyou and then came the threats. ‘If you hurt him, I’ll hurt you tenfold’ was the basic gist of all those messages and Shouyou found it endearing. Of course he knew why Kageyama was so protective (he had kind of a right to be at this point, but also he knew Kuroo so he should be less protective) over him, but Kuroo couldn’t have had any idea and god, what if Kageyama was scaring him off? Sure, Kuroo didn’t seem like the type to be scared off that easily but when Shouyou had first met him he’d thought Kuroo was this cool, worshipable sex god and while he might have been super hot, Kuroo was the biggest nerd he’d ever met. 

**TO: Kags**  
-Um, I said something in the groupchat its not my fault you muted it  
-ALSO, can you stop harassing Kuroo before I even get the chance to date him pls and thank

**TO: Kuroo <3 **  
-GWAHH, I’m so sorry about him!!! He’s a very overprotective jerk it happens every time I even talk to other boys.  
-Just ignore him 

Shouyou looked up from his phone to see the time: it was nearing the late evening and his parents weren’t supposed to be back for another few hours. If he started making dinner now, he could have it ready in half an hour and that would give Natsu enough time for a healthy nap (he didn’t want her to end up sleeping until 3 am and then waking up and not wanting to go bed; he’d experienced that with her many times before and that was the worst). Shouyou picked himself up off of the ground and made his way to the kitchen, where he put his culinary expertise to use. By culinary expertise, he meant he picked up one of the menus for a delivery service from the kitchen and called. Takeout was easy and while it definitely wasn’t healthy, he didn’t want to go to all the work of making dinner if it was just the two of them, especially when they had only eaten a few hours ago. Shouyou ordered one of the smaller meals for himself and then he got the same thing for Natsu. After growing up with a younger sibling, he’d come to learn that they always wanted the same things as their older siblings had. At times it was a little annoying, but with something like this it was nice to be able to do things so simply and predictably. 

He got off the phone five minutes later with the promise that the food would be there within half an hour. It would make quite a dent in his wallet, he’d discovered, but he knew Natsu would enjoy it so really there was no reason not to go through with it. Shouyou leaned against the kitchen counter and stared at the blank screen of his phone as he waited. He was honestly very surprised that _none_ of his friends were on their phones, trying to contact him, but then again it was the weekend and all of them had jobs and school work to do. Plus, Kageyama was probably too distracted by Kenma to look at his phone anymore (after earlier, he wouldn't be surprised if Kenma had had to calm Kageyama down with some...alternative methods). Waiting not so patiently, he swiped his screen unlocked and started playing Love Live. He hadn’t gotten into the game until he’d met Kenma but even in that short amount of time, he had developed a favorite member of Muse: Rin. She was the cutest of all of the girls, in his opinion, and he loved how she was unafraid to be herself and be into typically masculine things like sports and eating lots of food. Honestly, though, why don’t people just admit how much they like food? _Food is so delicious_.

By the time the food got there, Shouyou had played a couple of songs on expert without failing out of the live show (which, honestly, was a great improvement as he usually didn’t do so well on those ones) and he’d idolized another SR Umi. He payed the delivery girl, making sure to give her a good tip before bringing the food into the living room and setting it out on the coffee table. All of the food smelled delicious, like a blend of spices and heaven that he wa positive would taste just as delicious as it smelled. Overcome by a sudden hunger, Shouyou almost forgot about waking Natsu up to have her come eat.  
Scolding himself for almost being so selfish and rude, he walked into his room where she slept and gently shook her awake, “Hey, Natsu, kiddo? You gotta wake up now.” 

“Don’ wanna…” She groaned, batting his arm away from her as she snuggled further into the pillow her head was resting on. As he tried to gently goad her into getting out of bed (an almost impossible task, he was sure), she kept saying, “Mommy, five more minutes.” 

“C’mon, Natsu, I got dinner for us and if you come eat it with me right now, we can do whatever you want after that.” Shouyou grinned, nudging her softly. He didn’t need the second incentive it seemed, though, as the minute he brought up food, Natsu was struggling to get out of the covers as quickly as she possibly could. He let out a loud laugh as she fell to the floor and sprinted out of the room. _God, that was kind of adorable._

The two of them ate together, quietly talking together about random things. Natsu practically devoured her entire meal in a matter of minutes and was still hungry, so Shouyou ended up giving her part of his. He didn’t mind it, really, because he wasn’t all that hungry and if he ended up being hungry later on, he could fix some actual food in the kitchen (and by actual food, he meant ramen). 

“Onii-chan, can we watch music videos? I wanna see the one where the boys do the dancing and there’s the girl at the restaurant.” Natsu asked him, merely moments after eating the rest of Shouyou’s dinner. He wasn’t quite expecting her to be so lively after just waking up from a nap, because let’s face it, was anyone actually ever more alert after a nap? In his personal experience, he’d only been more alert if he had had coffee after he woke up from his nap. Coffee was the drink of Gods, so it made sense that he would feel better after he drank it. 

“Mmm, k-pop? Wanna watch Got7?” After Natsu’s very insistent nod, Shouyou got up and went to grab his laptop from his bedroom. Within a few minutes, he’d plugged it into the TV using the HDMI cable and he’d pulled up YouTube. Natsu’s favorite song was by Got7 and she was super into K-pop. Her favorite group, though, was Girls’ Generation. Shouyou wasn’t too up on the K-pop scene at the moment, but he at least knew a little bit about it because his sister was absolutely enamored with it. His personal favorite group was BTS, but Natsu didn’t seem to like them that much. 

Shouyou turned on the song she was talking about and he laughed as she started dancing around to the song, singing along with the band. He pulled out his phone and snapped a quick video of her dancing, sending it to Kuroo with the caption “did we give her too much sugar today!?” Then, he sent the video to his parents with a simple smiley face before placing his phone face down on the table and getting up to dance with her. Once the song ended, the two of them were out of breath. They had just enough time to catch their breath before the video automatically changed to another one, this time one of the girl groups that Natsu adored. Of course, the two of them continued on with their dance party for another hour or so until the door of Shouyou’s apartment opened and their parents walked in. 

“Sho, Natsu, what’re you two doing?” Their mom walked in, her eyes wide and her mouth spread in a grin. Natsu bounded over to her mom, wrapping her arm around her waist and saying hello as she attacked her. Shouyou just grinned, waving at his parents quietly before going to turn off the music on the TV. They would all sit there and talk to each other about their days and having music on would only make understanding each other more difficult than it needed to be. “I take it you two had a fun day?” 

“Mommy, it was so awesome!! Onii-chan and Kuroo-niichan took me to see the dolphins and they were so cool! They also let me pet the sharks and at first I was really scared, but then Kuroo-niichan did it, so I _had_ to do it and it was fun!” Natsu grinned, her smile wide and her eyes lighting up with happiness at the memories. Shouyou was taken back by how she addressed Kuroo. Kuroo-niichan? Did that mean she felt close enough to him that she thought he could be her brother, too? Or could she sense the attraction between him and Kuroo and automatically thought of the other as her brother?

“Ooh, how neat! Did you and Sho get pictures at the aquarium?” Their mom asked, picking Natsu up and holding her on her hip. Natsu giggled and rested her head against her mom before going off into a story about how Shouyou had to take pictures of _everything_. Sure, Shouyou was a little bit obsessed with taking pictures, but it’s not like that was a bad thing. It just meant he had a lot more physical memories with him than other people and that could be good in some instances. Like when Natsu was older and she was dating someone, Shouyou could show them all of her embarrassing photos from her childhood. 

The four of them stayed up for a while longer together, everyone talking about each of their day’s before they headed off to bed. It was getting quite late and Shouyou was exhausted from having spent the majority of the day walking around, especially after having only a few of hours of sleep the night before. Even though he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep for quite a while longer, Shouyou decided to check his phone before he finally fell asleep. It was a good thing he did because he had quite a few messages. 

**FROM: Kuroo <3 **  
Awww, how adorable. She must get it from her big brother   
(fyi that was me flirting with you ;) )

Shouyou blushed and giggled at this message. Kuroo was absolutely the cutest little nerd he’d ever met. He was so glad that he was going to get the chance to go on a date with this nerd next weekend. Then, the two of them could get closer and maybe then the swelling in his chest would reduce to a minimum whenever he heard Kuroo’s name or even just texted the boy. Ah, yes that date couldn’t come soon enough. 

Shouyou replied to the raven haired boy quickly, _Psh, of course she does. But I’m gonna go to bed now. Goodnight, Kuroo <3 _

**FROM: Kags**  
-Whatever, I’m still beating your ass when I get home tomorrow night.   
-How’s it going with your family though?

 

Of course with Kageyama’s message, Shouyou let out a tired laugh before typing back, _yeah, whatever. And its all good with them they’re still as awesome as ever._

After he pressed send and went through the group chat messages, Shouyou closed his eyes and curled up in bed next to the ball of warmth that was his little sister. She was already asleep, had been since the minute her head hit the pillow, and Shouyou wasn’t too far off from her. Sleep was a sweet release where he could dream about his upcoming date with Kuroo. Oh, how that dream was indescribably amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm so sorry it took like a month to update! I've been sick and then my spring break started so I really didn't have much time. Hopefully you liked all of this update and I'll try to update again within the next week!
> 
> As always,   
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And:   
> [ My blog ](http://kurohinatrash.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Until next time,   
> Val <3


	12. Chapter 12

By the next night, Shouyou’s family was back in their hometown, hours away from where he now lived. Their departure had been filled with tears and hugs and Natsu’s cries of ‘I don’t wanna go!’ but in the end, Shouyou wrenched his sister off of himself just in time for her to get on the train. It hurt to see them go, but Shouyou had to watch as they sped off in the train car just so he could wave goodbye to his little sister. After he dropped them off at the train station, Shouyou came back home and laid on the couch, silently staring up at the ceiling. He was alone now; Kageyama wasn’t home, his family had left, and he couldn’t hang out with Kuroo because he had to wait for their date on Saturday. In short, life was so unfair and Shouyou couldn’t stand it.  
He sat there silently for hours, mindlessly reblogging posts that he found aesthetically pleasing onto his blog. With hardly any thought, Shouyou would tag only a fraction of the posts, just to avoid triggering anyone with anything he had on there. He wasn’t a ridiculously popular blog, but he loved all of his followers because they supported him and whenever he was sad, or upset about something, he had a multitude of people outside of his normal life that he could talk to. It was a great thing most of the time, especially when he wanted to talk about things he wasn’t quite so comfortable talking to his friends about. 

It wasn’t until later that night, around ten, that Kageyama got back home. He’d gotten back from Kenma’s parent’s house a while ago, but then he’d gone out to get dinner with his boyfriend. As any best friend would do, he came back bearing gifts for Shouyou. 

“Oi, how long have you been on the couch?” Kageyama walked in, dropping his bag on the floor next to the couch. 

“I missed you, too, Kageyama. How were Kenma’s mom and dad?” Shouyou asked, looking up from the small luminescent screen of his cell phone. Kageyama rolled his eyes at Shouyou’s blatant avoidance of the question and pushed Shouyou’s legs off the couch before sitting down next to him. 

“Don’t avoid my question, idiot. Have you been sitting there all day?” Kageyama’s mom mode came on as he looked into Shouyou’s eyes, searching for the truth. Shouyou tended to do this, sitting in the dark, silent room whenever he was alone and sad. He remembers the first time he spent the night at Kenma’s house and he came back the next day to find Shouyou passed out on the couch, all the lights in the apartment off and the remnants of tears on his face. He didn’t go to Kenma’s again for weeks until he was sure Shouyou would be okay again. 

 

“Um, no?” The words came out of Shouyou’s mouth with an inherent uncertainty that made Kageyama certain that he had in fact been there all day. 

“Idiot.” Kageyama shoved Shouyou, “You can’t just sit all depressed on the couch every time you’re alone, Shouyou.” 

“Ooh, first names, eh, Tobio?” Shouyou joked, sitting up on the couch. It wasn’t like he had meant to sit there in the dark all alone; it had just happened as time had passed. 

“Shut up, idiot,” Kageyama glared roughly at him before his voice softened and he pulled his knees up to his chest. “Why aren’t you talking to Kuroo or someone else? You have plenty of friends and you don’t need to be alone like this.” 

“I can’t talk to Kuroo right now, do you know how clingy that would look?” Kageyama shot him a look that just shouted ‘you _are_ clingy’, which made Shouyou stick his tongue out in turn. “I mean, I _know_ I’m clingy, but he doesn’t have to know that right now!” 

“Okay, okay, I don’t really get that but whatever. Why aren’t you talking to someone else? Like maybe Suga, or Daichi, or Nishinoya, or Tanaka, or-”

“OK I get it, I don’t have to be alone, but sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and relax without having to worry about anyone else or what I’m doing. It’s pleasant to just be me when I can.” Shouyou admitted shyly, hoping his explanation didn’t make him sound too emo, which would make Kageyama worry even more about him (because while he loved attention, he didn’t like making anyone worry unnecessarily about him or really worry about him at all if he was being truly honest). 

“Have you eaten anything today?” Kageyama changed the subject quickly, noticing how uncomfortable his friend was. When Shouyou thought about it, he actually hadn’t eaten since early that morning when he’d made breakfast for him and his family. That was over twelve hours ago, so he really should be eating soon if he wanted to remain healthy and have enough energy to go to class and work tomorrow. Instead of answering Kageyama, though, Shouyou just shrugged and said that maybe he would be down to eat a little something at the moment. “I brought home some leftovers from Ukai’s place, if you want them. It’s just chicken and rice, though.” 

“Have I ever told you how much I love you, Kageyama?” Shouyou grinned, springing off of the couch. Food made everything better and Ukai’s food especially made Shouyou happy and excited. He could practically feel Kageyama roll his eyes as he sprinted into the kitchen where a small white box full of food sat on the table with a pair of chopsticks placed next to it. Shouyou opened the box and dug in, ignoring the taunts from Kageyama about eating too quickly and choking; he was starving and the taste of the chicken combined with the fried rice satisfied the glaring hunger he felt. 

The next few days, Shouyou went to class like normal and then to work. On Wednesday, his creative writing class was incredibly mundane, as all they did was go over the different writing techniques of authors who had written short stories like the ones they were all in charge of completing over the weekend. He loved talking about writing and he definitely loved to talk about different authors he admired, but going over different techniques and styles? It was so tedious! He didn’t want to learn about how others wrote, he wanted to cultivate and perfect his own style! He wanted to be different from all the other authors out there, to somehow be more _real_ with what he wrote. The reason he wrote was to express himself and how could he possibly do that if all he was learning about are other people and what brought them to their fame or their downfall? 

His mini-rant to himself about writing was cut-off when Takeda-sensei released them thirty minutes early from the lecture. As he got up and grabbed his bag, Shouyou felt a sense of dread wash over him. Takeda was coming closer to him, his eyes downcast. All he could think was that his assignment he’d turned in was terrible and Takeda was coming over to give him the news that he’d failed. Failing this assignment would wreck his GPA and then his scholarships would end and he’d be completely out of luck because working at the diner didn’t pay all that well and when he couldn’t pay his bills, Kageyama would have to kick him out and he’d be on the streets and what if he had to-

“Hinata-kun? Are you okay there?” Takeda waved his hand in front of the boy’s face. Shouyou blinked rapidly, his long eyelashes fluttering against the skin of his cheek. Looking at his sensei now, all Shouyou could see was worry and the newly found sense of relief. He didn’t look like he was coming to deliver bad news to Shouyou anymore; in fact, if anything, he looked like he had some news that just might brighten his monotonous day. 

“Oh, haha, yeah, sorry. I just zoned out there for a minute. Do you need something, Sensei?” Shouyou blushed, ruffling his hair out of his face. 

“Do you have a few minutes that I can talk to you about the short story you turned in over the weekend?” At the look of absolute terror and panic on Shouyou’s face, Takeda quickly made to reassure his student, “It’s nothing bad, I swear! It’s quite the opposite, actually.” 

“Oh, then, um, yeah. I have time.” Shouyou set his bag back on the desk and looked up at his sensei, attentively listening to him as he started talking to him about his work. 

“I really enjoyed reading, I’m not going to lie, but I just want to ask, what made you write about cats? It was quite an unusual choice of theme, something I’ve never read about before with this assignment. Usually, I just read about boyfriends, or partying, or vacations, or something else like that. Was there a particular reason you wrote about cats or are you just secretly an old cat lady?” Takeda joked, winking and laughing as though he had just said something so completely hilarious that he couldn't find the strength to stop himself. 

With rosy cheeks and a shy voice, Shouyou explained his choice to his professor. He’d wanted to write about something he knew about, something that wasn’t so overly cliche that everyone in the class would write about. With cats, he held a special affection. His first pet had been a cat he and his family had called ‘Aiko-chan’ and she was the most adorable thing ever. It completely wrecked him when she ran away while he was at school in his second year of junior high (looking back, his parents had probably lied to him about that, but he wasn’t too fond of thinking that deeply into it). Also, his best friend’s first boyfriend (and also one of his best friends) played for the volleyball team Nekoma in high school and they were always compared to cats (hence the name). And then, the nickname ‘Neko-chan’ came from Kuroo a few days ago. It was one of the cutest nicknames Shouyou thought anyone could have and to hear it coming from the guy he was practically head over heels for was just icing on the cake. So overall, cats were something that made him happy. 

“Hmm, that’s quite interesting. I’m glad you chose to write about them and I’m also glad you decided to do the writing competition. I think you’ll do amazingly and I’m so proud of you, even right now.” 

“Th-thank you so much, sir!” Shouyou flung his arms around his professor, his eyes watering. Being told he was good at writing was one thing. Being told that someone was proud of him? That was something completely different and it made Shouyou’s eyes water happily. Someone being proud of him meant so much to the young boy, he couldn’t even explain it. After Takeda’s strangled cry of ‘yeah, no problem. Let go, please?’ Shouyou released his grip on the older man and started to vehemently apologise, “I’m sorry, Sensei! I just- that made me really happy to hear! Thank you so so much.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Hinata-kun. And while I’m thinking about it, I’ll have the information for the competition by Friday and I’ll give it to you right away.” 

Shouyou nodded and grabbed his backpack, “Thank you, sir! See you in class next time!” And with a flippant wave, Shouyou was out the door of the classroom and heading back to his apartment. The entire way he thought about what Takeda-sensei had said. _His writing was good. He was good._ If anything filled him up with pride and self-confidence, it was definitely Takeda-sensei’s words. He could do this writing competition and he could do it well. If he was lucky, maybe he could even win it. 

Needless to say, Shouyou was now excited and ready for the rest of whatever this competition would hold in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm sorry this was kind of short, but I didn't just want to skip an entire week til Kuroo and Hinata's date! So, this is just a little filler chapter and next chapter is going to be their date. I hope you liked it, even though it was just mainly filler! I'll try to update in the next week (probably this weekend)! 
> 
> As always,  
> [ Hinata's blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And:  
> [ My blog ](http://kurohinatrash.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Until Next time,   
> Val <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some pre-date stuff ya know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up a month late with a 5.3K word update* Uh, hi?

Shouyou was practically bouncing off the walls Friday night at the restaurant and Yachi seemed to find that hilarious. She’d seen him excited before, like when he’d aced an exam in one of his classes or he’d gotten positive comments on his selfies, but she had never seen him act in this sort of nervous excitement before. Their other coworker, Yamaguchi Tadashi, stood next to Yachi as they gossiped about what Shouyou was this nervous and excited over. 

 

“Maybe he’s meeting with someone about some special thing with the University.” Yamaguchi suggested, looking as shy as ever. Yachi shook her head. _No, she couldn’t believe that Shouyou wouldn’t have blabbed about something that important already_ So that meant that whatever Shouyou was keeping from them was less important than that, but still would be significant enough to be worried about. 

“No, that’s not it. I wonder what it could possibly be, though…” Yachi trailed off, tapping her pointer finger on her chin. 

“Wonder what what could be?” A cheery voice chipped in from behind them, making both of them whip their heads around to face the owner of the voice. Shouyou stood there, a wide grin across his face and a tray of foot rested on his arm. He must have been on his way back from the kitchen and about to serve on of his tables before he stopped. Yachi panicked, wondering exactly what Shouyou had heard and if he knew they had been talking about him. 

“O-oh my goodness! U-um, nothing! It’s nothing, Shouyou-kun!” Yachi stuttered out, clutching at her heart as though she’d just had a heart attack, or something similar. Yamaguchi let out a small noise of agreement, his freckled cheeks turning a light pink. 

“Aww, you’re not going to include me in the gossip? That’s fine; I just won’t tell you about my date tomorrow.” Shouyou winked at the two before walking away to his table. Yachi and Yamaguchi both stood there, eyes wide in shock. 

 

Shouyou laughed to himself as he looked back at them, taking delight in their expressions. Ah, yes, this was why he’d refrained from telling them. The look of shock made it all worth it. 

Once Shouyou reached his table, he gave each of the four girls their food before smiling gently down at them, “I hope you all enjoy your food. Is there anything else I can get for you all?” 

One of the girls at the table elbowed the brunette next to her and whispered something in her ear. The brunette blushed before looking at Shouyou and asking in a small voice, “Um, I just wanted to ask you w-where you got your skirt? It’s, like, um, really pretty and you pull it off really well.” 

Now, Shouyou’s face matched the girl’s, cheeks dusted in dark pink. He stammered out a ‘thank you’ before going into detail about where he’d bought the black polka dotted skirt he was currently wearing as part of his uniform. He’d gotten it at one of the small boutiques near his apartment called ‘Kawaii Kolors’ (yes, it was a weird name, he knew). The girl asked him more questions about his fashion choices, seemingly getting more comfortable with speaking. He tried to answer all of them, being friendly with the girl, but eventually he had to leave to go service another table. 

At the end of his shift, Shouyou clocked out and started counting his tips. His tips were the majority of the money he took home and tonight was an especially good night. The table of girls he had talked to about his skirt gave him a 40 percent gratuity on their check and he’d also had a table of older gentlemen who seemed to enjoy the way he quipped back and forth with them while they ordered their food and they had tipped him an insane amount, too. He counted the yen out, eyes blown wide in shock as he got to the final number. He’d only worked for six hours, serving four tables, and he’d gotten just under 20,000 yen. _Holy frickle frackle,_ he thought, _this can pay for his and Kageyama’s utilities for the month and even dinner, too._

“Shouyou-kun? Will you please tell us about your date?” Yachi tapped him on the shoulder as he put his tip money in his bag. Her voice was insistent, practically begging him to tell them about it and who was he to deny them of this amazing story? 

And so, Shouyou sat down at one of the empty tables and began his very dramatic retelling of what had happened the past two weeks. He told them about how he had met Kuroo, how they'd taken Natsu out, and then finally how he had practically jumped Kuroo in order to ask him out. Shouyou loved the dramatic reactions he got from both of his friends so much that he almost wanted to make something else up just to see that face again, but he valued honesty too much to do that. After Yachi and Yamaguchi wished him good luck with his date the next morning, though, Shouyou was on his way back to his apartment. It was late and he needed to get a goodnight’s sleep. Contrary to popular belief, sleep didn't technically make you look better, it just made you feel better and when you feel good, others are more likely to be attracted to you. 

The next morning when he woke up, Shouyou was feeling overjoyed and well-rested. Upon glancing at the clock, Shouyou saw that it was nearing noon. Kuroo would be over in about six hours so he had plenty of time to get cleaned up and cook dinner for their date. He was going to make something simple, yet something that would showcase the diversity of his skills. He was making a foreign dish, one that he had only made twice before. The first night he and Kageyama moved in together, he made it and his best friend had loved it so much that he'd requested it for his birthday. Now, Shouyou only made it for special occasions and this was one of the most special occasions he could think of: his first date with quite possibly the love of his life. 

Shouyou had the apartment all to himself so he turned his music all the way up before jumping in the shower. He sang along to the Japanese group that Kuroo had introduced him to via one of their Skype sessions. He was laughing in the shower, pretending that the shampoo bottle was his own personal microphone and that the bathroom was his stage. God, he hadn’t been this happy in so long he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d felt this way. Just the thought of Kuroo was doing things to him and he was kind of maybe in love with that. 

 

Kuroo was freaking out massively. He’d been awake since six am, worrying about his date with Shouyou. He was so cute and funny and he had eyes that shone like the stars, captivating Kuroo. Shouyou was something special and he made Kuroo’s heart beat irregularly when he sent a smile Kuroo’s way. And tonight, he was going on a date with him and he was so incredibly nervous. They’d only known each other for a little while, so he still wanted to impress Shouyou, to get him to like him even more than he already claimed to. 

“Kuro, stop pacing. You’re bothering me.” Kenma came out into the living room, scolding Kuroo as he yawned. The younger boy’s blond was was sticking up all over the place, with one particular strand that resembled a nest more than the others.He was wearing one of his many oversized sweaters complete with the little paws, and a pair of pajama pants. Ahh, Kuroo thought, Kageyama must still be sleeping. That would be the only reason Kenma would actually get up to complain about his pacing. 

“Ah, Kenma, buddy, I don’t think you realise how nerve wracking this is for me, okay?” Kenma watched with a curious eye as Kuroo started pacing once again. He could practically hear the screaming of Kuroo’s thoughts, his anxieties, and the only thing he could do was roll his eyes. Kuroo was so overdramatic when it came to boys he liked, but he’d never been quite this visibly worried about a date. It warmed Kenma’s heart to think about how good this would be for both of his friends, who seemed to have terrible luck with relationships. 

“Kuro, I’ve known Shouyou for a while now; he obviously likes you.” The unspoken ‘don’t worry, just relax’ was heard loud and clearly, though. Kenma was like that all the time, always implying encouraging words through statements that wouldn’t exactly give off emotions. That kind of lowkey friendship was beautiful, thought Kuroo. 

“Pshh, of course I know he likes me, Kenma. He kissed me and he’s definitely not the type to just people all willy-nilly.” _Jesus, did I just say willy-nilly? I need help._ “What I’m worried about is, like, what if somehow a meteor comes crashing to earth and interrupts our date? Do you know what a mood killer that is?” Kuroo was only half joking about the meteor thing. Logically, he knew that if something that massive were to happen, they would know about it beforehand. Still, he was nervous about something unexpected happening and totally ruining their first date and Shouyou never wanting to go out on a date with Kuroo again. Just thinking about that happening broke Kuroo’s heart. 

Kenma rolled his eyes, glad that at least his friend was okay enough to joke about things, “You’re so melodramatic.” He turned around and walked to his room, probably laying back down with his sleeping boyfriend. 

_Ah,_ Kuroo thought, _if Kenma won’t talk to me, I’ll talk to my other best friend._ With a flourish of his hand, Kuroo pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed said best friend. 

“‘M? Kuroo? Wha’s up?” Bokuto’s voice was rough and slow, meaning he’d just woken him up. Kuroo felt slightly bad about this, but he’d woken him up for less important reasons. 

“Bo’, my bro, I am freaking the freak out.” He blurted out, not even bothering to say hi or apologise for most likely waking Bokuto up. “My date’s tonight and I have no idea what to do. Should I bring him flowers? What about wine? Wait, no, he doesn’t drink. Oh my god dude…”

“My man, you gotta calmáte rapidamente. It’s not gonna help you to just worry about all of this.” Bokuto had picked up some Spanish from their friend, Lev, who spoke six different languages but always seemed to yell in Spanish and Russian. Usually Kuroo found it hilarious when Bokuto threw in some words he’d heard Lev use offhandedly, but now he couldn’t find it in him to laugh. “Anyway, bro, do you need me to come over? I can be there in ten.”

“No, bro, it’s okay you don’t have to-” Kuroo started, but he was cut off by the background sound of Bokuto rummaging through his drawers. Ah, yes, Bokuto was the type of hard-headed friend that would do anything to ensure the happiness of others, even if they said they didn’t want it. Still, Kuroo tried to stop him from coming over. He might’ve been okay with waking Bokuto up, but having him come over was a little much to ask of him. “Bo, seriously, I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Dude, I can’t leave my best bro while he’s freakin’ out!” In the background, he heard Akaashi’s voice groggily asking Bokuto (presumably, Kuroo couldn’t actually tell, seeing as he wasn’t there) where he was going, saying that they were cuddling and he should just get back in bed. “Sorry, babe. Kuroo needs me right now. Be back later.” 

Again, Kuroo heard Akaashi saying something about wondering if Kuroo was his boyfriend because it seemed that way sometimes. Bokuto laughed so loudly, Kuroo had to pull away from his phone to avoid permanent hearing damage. “Kuroo, I’m leaving now. Want me to pick up Starbucks on the way?”

Kuroo felt his eyes tear up as he gasped out, “Bro, would you really do that for me?”

“Totally, my dude. Well, gotta go. Try not to pace a hole through the floor before I get there. I’d love to videotape you falling through.” Bokuto laughed heartily over the line before the sound of jangling keys was heard behind him. Ah, he must be leaving now. 

“Okay, Bo, we’ll save that until later. Then we could, like, upload it and it could go viral and we’ll be internet celebrities!”

Kuroo and Bokuto both said goodbye to each other before he hung up and sat on the couch. With Bokuto coming over, he could possibly relieve some tensions he had (they always did stupid things together) and maybe Bokuto could give him some dating advice (after all, he had been dating Akaashi since high school so he was good at this). 

Waiting for Bokuto gave Kuroo the opportunity to start asking himself things. Like, should he text Shouyou now or would that be too weird? Deciding that he really didn’t care if it was weird or not, Kuroo texted the younger ginger boy, wishing him a good morning even though it was already afternoon. A moment after, he sent out another text, telling Shouyou how excited he was for their upcoming date. Maybe if Shouyou sent him a text back saying how nervous he was, the fluttering in his stomach would cease and he could focus on other things, like how he should have done his music theory homework last night but just ended up sending memes to all of his friends in their group chat (Yaku ended up kicking Kuroo out of the chat for being “unnecessarily gross” and “encouraging Lev to do stupid things”). 

Bokuto showed up fifteen minutes later, walking into Kuroo and Kenma’s apartment with a loud ‘Oyaoyaoya!’ as he got into the living room where Kuroo was sitting. Bokuto was holding a drink carrier with four Starbucks cups and a box of something Kuroo wasn’t quite sure what it was. Of course, though, Kuroo got up off the couch and as Bokuto set the box and drinks down, he hugged his best bro. “My dude, have I ever told you how much I love you?” 

BOkuto laughed, wrapping his arms around Kuroo, too. He pulled away and looked at his best friend, his signature wide grin spread across his features. “Love you, too, my man! No hetero.” He winked, clapping Kuroo on the shoulder, “Anyway, I brought you a Frappe and I got you donuts ‘cause they were on sale. Are Kageyama and Kenma here, too? I picked up some for them, too.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Kuroo told him that Kenma and Kageyama were in Kenma’s room still. Bokuto went to tell them about their coffee drinks, but Kuroo stopped him with a light warning of, “Kenma’s in a bad mood because I woke him up, just a warning dude.”

Bokuto blew off his supposed warning and walked down the hall to where he knew Kenma’s room was. The door had Neko Atsume stickers plastered to it, so even if his memory failed him, Bokuto could still tell whose room it was. Gently, he rapped on the door, earning a groan of ‘yeah?’ from inside. “Good morning, Sunshine! I brought you and lover boy Starbucks!”

Within a matter of seconds, the door opened and Bokuto was met face to face with Kenma. He looked about the same as usual, but his dyed blond hair seemed longer than usual and part of it was tied up in a semi=ponytail (he wasn’t really sure what they were called but it looked cool on him). Behind him, Bokuto saw a sleepy Kageyama getting out of bed, Bokuto didn’t quite know Kageyama all that well (he’d mainly heard stories of how he and Kenma were so disgustingly cute and _God, Bo, why can’t I have a cutesy relationship with an even cuter boy?? It’s just not fair_ ). “Where is it?” Kenma’s voice range out simplistically, the small blond looking up at the spiky haired guy in front of him. 

“Living room, with Kuroo.” Bokuto grinned at the couple before turning on his heel and going back to the living room. There, he was met with the glorious scene of Kuroo with half a donut inside his mouth, holding his phone up and taking a selfie with it. He briefly wondered who Kuroo was sending the selfie to before he jumped onto his best friend just as the other was taking the picture. Kuroo’s eyes went wide and the half-eaten donut dropped out of his mouth as he struggled to hold Bokuto up (not that he physically couldn’t-he was pretty well built for a musician- but because of the surprise and the urge to drop Bo on his butt). 

“Bro! What the frick?” Kuroo groaned, gripping his best friend’s legs. And wow, was Bo doing leg training again? His calves felt really solid, more so than was normal for the owl-like fitness freak. “Woah, dude. Nice calves. Been going to the gym without me?” 

“Aww, you noticed!” Bokuto jumped off of Kuroo’s back and smiled at his best friend, “You’ve been so busy with you boy and all, I just started going without you. Sorry, man.”

Kuroo looked his best friend up and down, eyeing every part of Bokuto. He was obsessed with going to the gym and staying fit and at times, he overdid it way too much. That’s why Kuroo was there, to hold him back from doing something stupid like hurting himself. Instead, they did stupid things that could possibly harm both of them, but typically didn’t. It was pretty sweet, if he were being honest. Why stupid stupid things alone when you can do stupid things with your bro, Bo?

Kenma and Kageyama trailed behind, coming to a stop when they saw Bokuto and Kuroo acting stupid. The couple simultaneously rolled their eyes and continued to where the Starbucks and donuts were. Upon picking it up and inspecting it, Kenma took a sip of his drink, “S’mores? Bokuto-san, you’re the coolest.”

Kageyama took his, too, letting out a soft “T-thank you.” Then, he looked up at Kuroo and with a much more confident, stern voice, he said, “Be nice to Shouyou tonight. Don’t push anything on him, don’t make him uncomfortable, and definitely don’t hurt him. If you do, I will kill you.” 

Kenma slapped his boyfriend on the arm, rolling his eyes at Kageyama before looking up at Kuroo, “Don’t listen to him. We’ll _both_ kill you. Have a nice date, Kuro!” Before Kuroo could quip out a retort, Kenma was already on his way back into his room, pulling Kageyama along with him. Beside him, Bokuto was laughing his butt off, pointing at Kuroo’s face-which may just have had a little bit of actual fear evident upon it. 

“Do you think they’d actually kill me? I mean, I don’t plan on hurting Sho, he’s too adorable for that. What if I do on accident, though, and then they come to kill me? Bo, I’m too young and pretty to die!!”

“Relax, _amigo_. They’ll have to go through these guns first,” Bokuto pulled a cheesy grin, flexing his arm and showing off his well-toned biceps. 

Kuroo laughed and wrapped his arms around Bokuto, declaring him to be the greatest dude in all of existence. Then, the two friends sat down on the couch together and Kuroo began to ask what he should do about his first date. Bokuto suggested that maybe Kuroo _should_ bring flowers, but not the cliche bouquet of red roses; from what Kuroo had told him, Bokuto was sure Shouyou would rather have flowers with a specified meaning particular to their relationship or him. Kuroo just stared at him, wondering how the hell he knew all of this romantic stuff. 

Once he’d gotten an idea about what kind of flowers he should get, he and Bokuto went to his room. While Kuroo was obviously an adult and could pick out his own clothes, having his best friend there to help him pick out something hot was nice. So, Bokuto practically attacked Kuroo’s closet, pulling out every item of clothing he owned and separating them into piles of ‘maybe’ ‘no’ and ‘why do you even still have this!’ Kuroo sat down at his desk before picking his guitar up and strumming out a few notes to some love song he’d heard on the radio on campus. The lyrics, as he vaguely remembered them, made him think of Shouyou and how he always lit up his world, just like the rising sun. 

“Oi, Kuroo? Are you listening?” He was snapped out of his thoughts when Bokuto snapped his fingers in front of his face. Looking up at his spiky haired best friend, he gave an apologetic smile and let out a small, “hmm?”

“Try this on.” He threw a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans (only slightly ripped) and a nice red button-up. Without another word, Kuroo tugged his t-shirt and pants off, leaving him only in his black boxers and causing Bokuto to let out a loud whistle. Kuroo grinned and started putting on the outfit Bo picked out. He loved their relationship, how they were able to compliment each other’s body and say flirty things without having to be ‘gay’ or say ‘no homo’ afterwards. He honestly didn’t understand why anyone said no homo in the first place, because frankly it was stupid to reassure your _friend_ about your sexuality just because you said some nice things about them. 

“Alright, does this look good?” Kuroo questioned as he finished buttoning the shirt up. The sleeves of the shirt came almost all the way to his wrist and that felt a little uncomfortable, but if it looked good this way, it was fine with him. Bokuto looked him up and down, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth before he got to fixing Kuroo’s outfit. 

“Alright, unbutton the top button, you nerd. And here,” Bokuto grabbed Kuroo’s arm and rolled the sleeve up to his elbow before moving on to the other sleeve and doing the same to that one. “There you go, bud. Now let’s talk about that hair of yours.” 

An hour, three failed attempts at styling his hair, and a small fight over who would win in an arm wrestle later, Kuroo was finally ready to go, At the very end, Bokuto had gotten some of his hair to go up in spikes, along with the help of extra-hold hair gel. Kuroo thought he looked weird, but Bokuto assured him that it was a ‘hot’ kind of weird. Along with the hair, Bokuto suggested that Kuroo not wear his contacts and instead wear the thick black-framed glasses he had. Kuroo was pretty sure glasses were totally not matching with his usual dark, punk aesthetic but neither was the outfit he was wearing so it didn’t really matter all that much. 

Before he left, Bokuto looked at him seriously and said, “Please don’t buttdial me if you two...do stuff. I don’t want to experience that again.” Kuroo choked on air, coughing and sputtering as he vehemently denied that anything was going to happen tonight. It was their first date for Christ’s sake! 

After Bokuto left (or rather, Kuroo pushed him out of his apartment for saying something so weird), kuroo went out the door next. He had a little over an hour until he was supposed to be at Shouyou’s and he still needed to get some flowers for him. Luckily, though, he knew about a small flower shop that would most likely have what he wanted. He and Bo had looked up meanings of flowers earlier and he’d found that orchids, sunflowers, and anemones described Shouyou pretty well.  
On his way to the florist, Kuroo got a text from shouyou. The second he felt the vibration of his phone, his hand was in his pocket and he was pulling it out to read the message. He had a few others from his Nekoma groupchat, but he could deal with that later. 

**FROM: Sho-chan <3 **  
Ahh, I’m excited too! But also kind of nervous, is that weird? I hope its not! Anyway I guess I’ll see you soon! Can’t wait :)

Kuroo couldn’t help but smile at how absolutely adorable that message was. He sent one back to him, saying it wasn’t weird and that he couldn’t wait either. He felt so relieved that Shouyou was also nervous about their first date; that meant they’d both understand if the other did something stupid. Feeling better about everything (and rather elated that he was _actually_ going on a date with Shouyou Hinata), he made his way into the flower shop. 

There, he was met with the sweet voice of an older lady greeting him kindly and asking what she could do for him. He smiled sweetly at her, resting his palms against the cool countertop. “Ah, I’m going my first date with someone tonight and I really want to get them a nice bouquet.” 

“Oh, a first date and you’re already getting them flowers? How cute!” The older lady seemed absolutely overjoyed that Kuroo was doing something so classically romantic as this. “Do you know what kind you’d like?” 

“Can I get some orchids, sunflowers, and anemones? I looked those up online and they seem to really capture the essence of my date, ya know?” He tapped his fingers against the counter, a wide smile spread across his face as he thought of Shouyou and that incredibly dazzling smile of his. The florist looked surprised at first, but after a moment the shock turned into pleasant excitement.” Why, I haven’t been asked to arrange those particular flowers together in quite a long time..”

“Oh is that a bad thing? Will they not look good together? I don’t want them to not be aesthetically pleasing; Shouyou’s got a thing about things being aesthetically pleasing-” As Kuroo started rambling, the owner of the shop let out a chuckle before quickly putting a hand up to halt the flow of words spewing from his mouth. Quickly, she reassured him that the flowers would look beautiful together as long as he had a meaning behind the arrangement. Of course he had a meaning, though, that’s why he picked those certain ones. They meant adoration, anticipation, and delicate beauty, all of which were quintessential in describing Shouyou. 

The florist moved around the shop, gathering the flowers Kuroo had picked out. She arranged them all neatly into a plastic wrapper with hearts printed on it, something Kuroo hadn’t asked for but was sure Shouyou would love. After the four orchids, the three sunflowers, and the four anemones, Kuroo watched as she placed another flower in the arrangement: a single peony. When he asked her about it, she just smiled and said, “Don’t worry about it, honey. It’s on the house; it’s for good luck.” 

_Good luck?_ Kuroo thought. He hadn’t seen a peony on the website he used earlier but he supposed that if the florist said that’s what it meant, he really shouldn’t second guess her. With a slight blush, he thanked the lady as she tied the plastic paper together with a pastel pink ribbon, leaving it in a big bow. She handed the bouquet to Kuroo with the kind of smile that reminded him of his mother. Speaking of her, he should probably call her soon…”Alright, honey, that’ll be 1600 yen.” 

“1600 yen? That seems low…” Kuroo trailed off as he took out the money and paid her. 

“Take it as a good luck discount and save the money for the money for the second date.”

“Do you really think he’ll want to go on a second date? We haven’t even been on our first one yet.” Of course, Kuroo had hoped that he and Shouyou would go on more than one date, but it wasn’t for sure yet. 

“With those flowers? You’d better invite me to your wedding.” She let out a loud laugh when she saw how Kuroo’s eyes had popped open and he began to stumble over his words, most likely trying to tell her that they weren’t even going to (well maybe they were but he really shouldn’t be thinking of marriage before their first date even started). “Now you get going and woo that boy of yours tonight, alright?” 

“Thank you so much ma’am!” He waved goodbye as he hurried out of the shop and out onto the busy sidewalk. He’d spent almost half an hour in there, talking to the lady, and now he needed to make the twenty minute walk to Shouyou’s apartment before he was late. 

The walk to Shouyou’s place was full of Kuroo wondering how the date was going to go, what Shouyou would be wearing, and what the food Shouyou was making was going to taste like. Thinking about that made Kuroo’s stomach growl and he came to the realization that the only thing he’d eaten all day was half of a donut and that honestly didn’t seem very healthy to him. If Yaku found out, he’d be dead. 

Kuroo stood in front of Shouyou’s door and checked the time: he still had ten minutes before he was actually supposed to be there. Should he just wait outside those ten minutes? Or should he say screw it and knock on the door, despite his prematurity? Debating over those options, he started to pace around in front of the door. After a minute or two he made up his mind that he should just knock on the door. After all, knocking earlier meant spending more time with Shouyou and that was one of his favorite ways to spend his time. 

Kuroo stood back from the door, eyeing the small metal doorknob that was the entryway between this moment of anticipation and his first date with Shouyou. In a matter of moments, he would be inside Shouyou’s apartment and enjoying a delightful romantic meal with the cutest boy he’d ever met. Outside the apartment, Kuroo heard quick footsteps coming to the door before it opened and revealed his faorite ginger behind it. 

“Ahh, Kuroo! You’re here!” His heart practically stopped when he caught sight of Shouyou standing therein a light pink and white polka dotted skirt and a cute sleeveless top that showed off the younger boy’s smooth, lightly tanned skin.Shouyou’s hair was done up like normal, with a small pink bow, and his lips were a strikingly beautiful shade of luminescent pink that made Kuroo desperately want to kiss him. Oh, Lord, have mercy on his soul because his thoughts were complete and utter _sin_ right now. 

“Hello there, Neko-chan. You look very stunning right now and I really want to kiss you. Can I kiss you? Just on the cheek?” Kuroo let ou breathlessly, drawing a laugh from the smaller boy in front of him. Without a word, Shouyou pulled Kuroo into the apartment and closed the door before pressing his lips against Kuroo’s in a passionate kiss. He could feel the warmth of Shouyou’s lips against his own, and if ever asked how he would describe heaven, he would definitely describe this exact moment. With Shouyou pressed against him like this, there was nothing he felt he couldn’t do. 

He was invincible and so hopelessly lost in this love that he didn't care about anthing else, just Shouyou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god it's been way too long I'm so sorry! At first it was because of exams, but then I was sick and then I got a job?? So I've been just a little busy but I finally updated and school is out for me in like three days!! So I'll probably be able to update more frequently!! Anyway, I know I said they'd finally have their date this chapter, but I wanted to write some Bokuto and Kuroo being bros so kurohina date will be the next chapter!! 
> 
> As Always:  
> [ Shouyou's Blog ](http://shouyouthesmallgiant.tumblr.com/)  
> [ Kuroo's Blog ](http://trashtriotetsurou.tumblr.com/)  
> [ My Blog ](http://kurohinatrash.tumblr.com/) (please feel free to yell at me about kurohina and updating on here)
> 
> Love, Val <3


	14. Chapter 14

“I don’t usually do that. Sorry,” Shouyou breathed out as he pulled away from Kuroo. “ But you look so hot and-goodness, are you wearing glasses? Wow, I did not realise I was this gay _and_ out of control.”

Still in a pleasant, romantic daze, Kuroo just smiled idiotically at him, “Don’t worry about it. I, uh, brought you some flowers?” Kuroo held out the bouquet in front of Shouyou’s face, immediately drawing a large gasp from the small boy. He took them gingerly, staring at the flowers in complete awe. 

“These...they’re so beautiful...You really got them for me?” Shouyou’s voice held a tone of great disbelief at the fact that he’d actually gotten him anything. It made kuroo wonder just exactly who Shouyou had dated before that he was getting this choked up about a simple arrangement of flowers. What else had Shouyou missed out on before? Had he never had the joy of receiving chocolates on Valentine’s Day? Or getting matching Christmas presents with a significant other? 

“Of course I did, Shouyou; they remind me of you.” Kuroo watched as tears sprang to Shouyou’s eyes, some pouring over the edge of his eyelids. “Hey, Neko-chan, don’t cry, please.” He cupped the palm of his hand against Shouyou’s cheek, his fingers swiping up to wipe away the tears on his face. Shouyou sniffled and smiled at the black haired boy in front of him before wrapping his arms around Kuroo’s shoulders and resting his head against his chest. 

“‘M sorry, Kuroo, y-you’re just so sweet!” Shouyou pulled away from Kuroo, his tears now all dried up and his usual happy grin across his features. “I’m gonna go put these in a glass! You can come in and sit down in the kitchen, if you want! Dinner’s almost ready!”

Kuroo’s heart pounded in his chest as he followed Shouyou the rest of the way into the apartment, closing the door behind the two of them. Seeing Shouyou cry like that was something he’d never seen before and he never wanted to have to see Shouyou cry again, even if those were happy tears (at least he hoped those were happy tears because if not, he was definitely in a lot of trouble with Kageyama and Kenma). Kuroo watched silently as Shouyou fussed over which glass would be the best to put the flowers in and at some point, he even heard the smaller boy curse himself for not owning a vase. And if that wasn’t the cutest thing ever, he couldn’t tell you what was.

Moments later, after he had placed the flowers in a tall glass with water and placed it on the kitchen counter, Shouyou pulled the food out of the oven, setting it down on the table, making sure not to burn himself on the hot pan. He’d done that many a time before and he knew that the sensation that came with it- particularly the pain- was definitely not a good thing. Kuroo eyed the pan curiously, wondering what it could be that Shouyou had made for their date. It looked like some sort of pasta dish, with red sauce and cheese on top, but Kuroo wasn’t very versed in food that wasn’t instant ramen, so he wasn’t quite sure what it was. He asked Shouyou, who responded with a small laugh before telling the raven haired boy what it was. Lasagna, he said. It was an Italian dish that Shouyou himself had only had a few times and Kuroo had never had before.Nevertheless, the two of them dug into the food and Kuroo practically moaned at the taste of the lasagna. It was just so spectacular, so _amazing_ , that he had trouble believing Shouyou wasn’t secretly some four-star chef. 

“Oh my God, this is so good. Nacchan definitely wasn’t lying when she mentioned how talented you are in the kitchen,” The burn of red across Shouyou’s cheeks was enough to give Kuroo a sense of satisfaction before he went back to eating. He noticed Shouyou’s mouth open and close again as though he had something to say, but didn’t know how to say it before Shouyou blurted out something that came out so fast, he couldn’t quite understand what he himself had said. Shouyou repeated himself, this time more slowly and calmly. 

“Ahh, um, sorry. I said ‘Thanks, I learned back when I had to cook for myself at home’. Anyway, so, what do people usually talk about on first dates? I haven’t really ever properly had one…” Instinctively, Shouyou went to twirl his hair around his finger but then remembered that hey, he was on a date and that probably wasn’t proper first date behavior. Instead, he laid his hands down in his lap, thumbs twiddling together where Kuroo couldn’t see them and think that Shouyou was being weird (even if he so actually was). 

“In my experience, which comes mainly from sappy romantic comedies, people talk about their jobs, their life aspirations,and hmm, what else have I seen? oh! And their favorite colors and such.” Kuroo took another bite of his lasagna before looking back up at Shouyou with a smile on his face, “But it seems like we kind of already know all that about each other. How about we play 20 questions while we eat, though?” 

“Mm, sounds fun. Can I ask you a question first or do you want to ask me a question first? I’m okay with either, so whatever you want to do, Kuroo.” Of course, being as kind and generous as he always is, Kuroo let Shouyou ask him a question first. It took the younger boy a few moments to think of a question to ask Kuroo (he only had 20 chances and there were so many things Shouyou still yearned to know about the boy sitting across from him), but when he figured it out, he left no time for Kuroo to back out of it. “Have you always known you were into guys?”

“Ah, kind of? Like, when I was younger I had a feeling that I was, but I wasn’t entirely sure and I found some girls, like, attractive? But when I was fourteen, my best friends and I all went to this upperclassman party and we were so intoxicated by the feeling of being, well, _older_ , I suppose, and we made out and that’s when I knew for sure that I was into guys.” Kuroo smiled at the memory; Oikawa had been just as inexperienced as he was, even though he liked to act as though he was a massive playboy with all the girls at their school, and it was messy and awkward but the feeling of another guy against him was something that he couldn’t get out of his head. A couple weeks after that incident, he’d ended up coming out to his mom, who had just smiled at him reassuringly and told him that she was proud of him for being brave enough to come out to her because she knew how nerve wracking that had to have been for him. 

“Wait, Oikawa?? Like, the same guy from my work, the one you were in a band with?” Kuroo nodded and even though it had happened years ago and anything between them was obviously over with, Shouyou couldn’t help the pang of jealousy in his chest. Deciding to let it go because negative emotions were not good for his skin, Shouyou let out a laugh, “I don’t know what I expected but I honestly didn’t expect that. Now it’s your turn to ask me a question, Mr. Surprising.” 

“Alright, alright. This is a really hard question, so you better be prepared. Here goes,” Kuroo took a dramatically big breath of air into his lungs before asking, “Are you a dog or a cat person?”

“Woah, that’s way too hard of a question! There’s no way you can expect me to answer something as hard as that,” Shouyou pouted at the boy across the table from him, hoping to make the other pick a different question. Kuroo didn’t budge, though, and gave Sho a look that said ‘answer the question’. “Okay, okay. I’ll answer: I’m more of a cat person.” 

“Thank goodness. If you would have said dog person, I would have to leave immediately.” Kuroo joked, winking at Shouyou before asking his next question. The two of them went on like this for a while, bantering about certain answers that they each had as they ate the meal Shouyou had made them. It was pleasant and vaguely familiar to Shouyou, something that made him feel comfortable with Kuroo and like this was somehow meant to be, like they were supposed to be doing this, supposed to be completely enamored with each other and able to be themselves around each other. He’d never really believed in signs before, but this felt so much like a good one that he couldn’t possibly ignore it; dating Kuroo was meant to be, no matter what any of his more pessimistic friends thought (*cough* Kageyama *coughcough*). 

After dinner and their session of 20 questions, the two of them moved into the living room, where Shouyou had set up one of his favorite romantic movies to watch. Tanaka had suggested that Shouyou watch a scary movie with Kuroo, so that he would have an excuse to cuddle up against the other but Suga had said that he should pick a romantic movie, one that would create an “amorous ambience” (Suga’s words, not his own) between the two of them. Like usual, Shouyou had gone with his surrogate mother’s advice, telling himself that he could still cuddle up to Kuroo if he wanted; it wasn’t like Kuroo was the type to deny Shouyou cuddles. 

The two of them sat on the couch together, their fingers intertwined as the movie started, the title spreading across the screen in big white lettering. Neither of them were really paying attention to the screen as the main characters were being introduced; how could they when they could both feel the racing of their own hearts with the heartbeat of the one they’d started to cherish the most? It might have been their first date, but something about it felt so foreign yet so familiar that neither could focus on anything but the other. Shouyou could faintly smell the cologne that Kuroo used almost daily and it was so attractive, so enticing, that he couldn’t resist the urge to lay his head on Kuroo’s shoulder, breathing in the scent even closer. It was so relaxing, being this close to Kuroo, that Shouyou closed his eyes to revel in the moment. _Hmm,_ he thought, _this is… nice._

“Ne, Neko-chan? Are you awake?” Kuroo glanced down at the other as the ending credits to the movie scrolled across the screen. Shouyou had been nestled up against his side with his eyes closed for a while now and Kuroo had the slightest thought that maybe he’d fallen asleep. Usually, Shouyou was quite talkative and energetic so it seemed odd that he hadn’t said anything to Kuroo in a while. Of course, looking at his face, Kuroo could tell that the younger boy had dozed off during the movie. Shouyou’s sleeping face- just like all of his faces- was adorable and Kuroo couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to wake up and look over at that face. He wondered if Shouyou was the type to wake up before others, if he would be a morning person or if it would take hours to get him up in the morning. He could just imagine how cute a pouty, sleep-deprived Shouyou would look first thing in the morning, before his classes. Ah, his heart could barely handle the mental image. 

With the practiced finesse one gets when their best friend is a cat who takes naps all over their shared apartment, Kuroo maneuvered himself off of the couch, carrying Shouyou in his arms. He could only imagine how little Shouyou slept (between his job and school and his social life there was little room for a nice, deep sleep, something that everyone needed, but Shouyou most of all) and he didn’t want to wake his date up, despite the fact that he maybe wanted to do some more of what they’d done when Kuroo had shown up on Shouyou’s doorstep. He carried Shouyou into his room, laying the smaller ginger boy on his bed. As he moved to drape the blanket over the other, an involuntary yawn escaped his mouth. He cursed himself mentally, eyeing Shouyou to make sure he hadn’t woken the younger boy up. As was his luck, though, Shouyou was still only lightly asleep and shifted awake. “K-Kuroo? Wha-what’s going on? Did I fall asleep? ‘M so sorry, I-” 

“Oi, Sho, don’t apologize. You need the sleep, okay? We can always do more date stuff later.” Kuroo leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of Shouyou’s forehead, “Go back to sleep, Neko-chan.” Then, Kuroo turned on his heel towards the door, hoping that Shouyou would actually get the sleep he needed. 

“Wait, Kuroo,” The warm touch of Shouyou’s hand wrapped around Kuroo’s wrist, holding him back from leaving right now. Kuroo turned around to see Shouyou, his eyes droopy with sleep, but pleading at the same time. “Please don’t go. Stay the night?” 

“Oh, you, um, you want me to stay? With you?” His heart beat rapidly in his chest. Was this real life? What if he was the one who had fallen asleep during the movie and this was all a dream? What if in real life Shouyou was trying to wake him up, to kick him off his couch because their date was so totally over and so was any chance of a relationship? _Calm down, Tetsurou. Don’t freak yourself out over something so silly._

Shouyou nodded, “Mm. It’s, ya know, nice? When you’re next to me, I mean. While I’m sleeping. It calms me and yeah, I just, I really like you. I mean, I understand if you don’t want to stay. It is our first date and all and this might be taking it a little fast but I just- Will you? Stay with me?” Even as tired as he was, Shouyou was still a nervous rambler. The words rolled off of his tongue, exposing his subconscious, irrational fear that Kuroo didn’t _want_ to stay, that Kuroo didn’t want to be with him. 

Without another word, Kuroo took off his glasses and laid them on the dresser before taking Shouyou’s outstretched hand and climbing into bed with him. With the way they were positioned together in bed, Kuroo could see the amber eyes of his boy sparkling in delight as he pressed close against the taller boy. Shouyou smiled at Kuroo, running his fingers through his soft black hair before pressing a chaste kiss against his lips. Sleepily, he muttered against the kiss, “Ya know, Kuroo, I _really_ , really like you.” 

Kuroo waited until Shouyou’s breathing evened out and his eyes finally closed before letting out a soft, “And I really, really like you, Hinata Shouyou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I'm such trash please forgive me. I can't believe it took me this long to update again I just, I am a disappointment to my dog. Anyway! Sorry if this update is bad, but thanks to everyone who's still reading this! It honestly means so much to me that you guys stick with this story through long waits for updates, crappy plot, and bad spelling errors. Hope you all liked it, though!! 
> 
> [ Kuroo's Blog ]()   
>  [ Hinata's Blog ]()   
>  [ My Blog ]()
> 
> Until next time,  
> Love,  
> Val <3


	15. Chapter 15

Kuroo was having a hard time getting out of bed. The radiant warmth pressed up against him was a comforting feeling, one he hadn’t felt in a long time. Vaguely, he wondered if Kenma had turned the heat up to warm his cat-like body. This heat was different, though, very much unlike the heatwave experience when their heating system was turned on. Groggily, he pried his eyes open to see a bright wave of orange pressed against his chest. “Huh?” 

And that was the moment all of his memories of last night came rushing back to him in rapids. The date. Their shared kisses. Shouyou falling asleep while they were watching a movie. _Shouyou inviting him to bed with him._ It was all so sudden, so amazingly _good_ that he couldn’t really comprehend what this all meant. This was a step further in their relationship, one he hadn’t anticipated on happening so quickly. If anything, he imagined it being months before Shouyou asked him to sleep with him, not mere weeks. 

Kuroo shifted around to get a good glimpse at the room and at the precious boy curled up against him. Shouyou looked so adorably happy when he was sound asleep that Kuroo couldn't resist the urge to stare a thim. With his long eyelashes pressed against the soft expanse of his cheeks and the soft snores pouring from his pale, pink lips, Kuroo couldn't think of a better sight to wake up to. 

“You’re so cute, Sho.” Kuroo whispered softly, his voice still gruff from sleep. He wrapped his left arm around Shouyou, embracing him carefully and holding him close for fear this would end. The soft whir of the air conditioning and Shouyou’s snores were the only noise in the room and Kuroo just knew he’d be using this scene of peaceful bliss the next time he had trouble falling asleep. This was the most relaxing time he’d ever had and if he just focused on the sound of Sho’s snores, he might just be able to fall back asleep. 

 

The wind rustled the sheer lace of the curtain over the window, chilling the couple next to it in the living room. Kageyama was still with Kenma, wanting to give his best friend space on his first date with Kuroo, but also wanting to spend time with his boyfriend. He’d been with Kenma all night and neither of them had gotten any word from Shouyou or Kuroo. Kenma wasn’t particularly worried about it, (“C’mon, Tobio, they’re probably just having a good time”) but Kageyama couldn’t repress the motherly instinct he’d gotten after being Shouyou’s best friend all this time. In a futile attempt to sate his worry, Kageyama pulled his phone out to call Shouyou. By the third ring with no answer, his blood started pumping and his anxiety skyrocketed. It was 9 in the morning by now and Shouyou was a pretty light sleeper anyhow, so there was no way he wouldn’t have heard his phone. Unless something happened to him and he got kidnapped and now the kidnappers are going to call him and ask for ransom and he’s just a broke university student, how will he ever get his best friend back-

“Tobio, what’s wrong? You look like you’re about to be sick.” Kenma’s soft voice was like a knife, cutting through the cloud of anxiety that shrouded Kageyama. 

“Shouyou isn't answering his phone. I’ve gotta go back to our apartment.” Kageyama jammed his phone into his pocket, sitting down on Kenma’s bed so he could throw his discarded clothes back on. He didn’t notice the look on Kenma’s face or the shirt that he put on backwards; he didn't have the time to do such trivial things. He had to make sure Shouyou wasn’t in fact kidnapped, or dead, or left somewhere crying all alone. H’ed seen the latter too many times and he couldn't stand to see Sho that broken again. Fuck, he shouldn’t have let Kenma introduce Shouyou and Kenma. God, he really shouldn’t have left the two of them together after Star Wars. 

“Hey,” Softly, with careful regard to the anxiety his boyfriend was feeling, Kenma laid a hand on his thigh, “Shouyou’s alright, Tobio. He was probably up all night with Kuroo watching Netflix or blogging or something. You know Shouyou.” 

Tears rolled down Kageyama’s cheek as Kenma sat down next to him, lightly touching his thigh. Of course he _knew_

how irrational his thoughts were, but he couldn’t help it. Bad things had happened to Shouyou before because Kageyama doubted his instincts and didn’t do anything. He couldn’t let that guilt eat him alive like that, not if he had any chance to stop it. “I know. I know but I’m so worried about him and I just - I have to do this.” 

 

Kenma’s heart ached for his boyfriend and even more so for the past Kageyama had been through with Shouyou. He didn’t know what had gone on with Shouyou and Kageyama back in their high school days (he figured it wasn’t really any of his business) but the niggling curiosity at the back of his mind was getting hard to ignore. Regardless of whatever happened that Kenma didn’t know, he still couldn’t let his boyfriend, the one person he loved the most, go down this path again. “Not alone.” 

 

Kageyama’s dark blue eyes gazed at Kenma in surprise. A sniffle escaped him just as he started to ask Kenma what he meant by that. Kenma wasn’t fazed by the question though, and just answered calmly, “You might have to go, but not alone. You’re not alone anymore, Tobio. Please don’t hurt yourself like this again. Let me go with you and we can both make sure Shouyou is alright, yeah?”

Even if he would have said no, Kageyama knew that Kenma would have gone anyway. So, Kageyama just allowed himself to be pulled into Kenma’s comforting embrace. “OK. Can we go right now, though? I really can’t wait.” 

 

And so, the two of them ended up walking out of Kenma's apartment back to Kageyama and Hinata’s. The minute they left, Kenma gripped Kageyama’s hand soothingly. Around the time they’d walked a couple blocks (or more rather jogged because Kageyama was in such a hurry to see if his friend had been kidnapped or anything), Kenma couldn’t keep pushing that niggling feel at the back of his mind down anymore. “Tobio, will you tell me what happened in high school that’s made you act like this, in such a panic?”

 

Kageyama had been expecting this for a while, actually. He’d had to use the excuse that he was worried about Shouyou because of what had happened years ago during their high school career. Kenma had always been understanding, though, and never asked about it before, too worried about crossing a certain personal line between the two friends. Kageyama had voiced his concern to Shouyou about when Kenma finally asked about high school. He’d vehemently told Shouyou that he’d keep it a secret no matter how hard it was if that was what he wanted. Shouyou had told Kageyama that he’d rather Kenma know about how he’d been in high school than to cause tension between the couple after all the pain he’d already put Kageyama through. 

 

Kageyama took a deep breath, significantly more calmed down than before, and spoke, “Alright, to give you a good understanding,I have to start back in our third year of middle school…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN SO LONG AND I'M SO SORRY GUYS PLS FORGIVE ME. ALSO THIS IS SO SHORT BUT IM WRITING ANOTHER PART AND I FELT LIKE THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO END??? 
> 
> Thanks to anyone who's still reading this!!! Love you all!!!
> 
> <3 Val


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback!!! Hinata and Kageyama first meet!!!

Kageyama had just been walking aimlessly around the school during lunch when he heard a strange noise coming from the bathroom. It sounded like someone was crying out in pain. His mind debated over whether or not he should go to check on whoever was making such a noise in the bathroom. What would he do if he walked in on someone being beaten up? He couldn’t possibly break the fight up or anything, so it really would be pointless, wouldn’t it? 

Still, it would go against all of the morals his mom taught him and he couldn’t possibly do something like that. So, Kageyama pushed the bathroom door open and cautiously ventured in. The first thing he saw was what looked to be a small body curled up in a ball in one of the bathroom stalls. The next thing, and possibly the most terrifying, was a trail of fresh blood, leading all the way from the sink to the stall where the person was curled up, sobbing and mumbling something unintelligible. Fuck, Kageyama thought, it looked like something had been slaughtered in here. 

“Uh, hey, are you alright?” Slowly, his heart pounding in his chest, Kageyama approached the open stall door. The person in the stall let out another loud sniffle followed by some words he rather couldn’t understand. Kageyama called out again, this time trying to imitate the way his mom spoke to him when he was upset. He wasn’t very good at it though, since he’d never had any friends or siblings to comfort, so it came out sounding meaner than how his mom had said it. 

“‘M f-fine.” The voice that came out of the boy in the stall was shaky and high-pitched and something inside of him just _broke_. He pushed open the door a little more and stepped inside. On the floor was a tiny ginger kid, blood running down his face from his eyes, cheek, and nose. The blood dripping from above his eye mixed with the tears coming down his face, creating an endless stream of orange that represented his sorrow and pain. 

Without another thought, Kageyama knelt down, grabbing a piece of toilet paper from the dispenser. He went to hold it onto some of the worst spots that are bleeding, but the boy in front of him finches back, crying out with a loud sob, “Please don’t hurt me!” 

“Shut up, stupid. I’m just trying to help.” And with those words, Kageyama wadded the toilet paper up and presses it against the worst of the multiple wounds. “Why didn’t you go to the nurse?”

The boy, who looks vaguely familiar even with all the blood covering his face, doesn’t say one word. He only shakes his head vehemently, as if terrified of what the nurse was going to do should he see the wounds. What could have happened that made him so wary of the nurse and why was he so bloody in the first place? Kageyama didn’t ask about it, though. Instead, he pressed down on the boy’s skin and held the toilet paper silently for a few minutes. Slowly, the boy’s sobs began to lessen as the time went on. 

Once Kageyama was sure all the blood flow was halted, he pulled the crimson-soaked paper off of his skin and tossed it in the toilet, flushing it down into the sewer. He looked at the one boy before speaking quietly, “I’m gonna go get stuff to clean up, alright? I’ll be back in a moment.” He got up and was turning to leave when he felt cold fingers wrap around his arm. 

“Please don’t leave me alone.” The look in those honey brown eyes was so terrified of being alone that Kageyama couldn't possibly leave him alone, not at a time like this. The boy was probably scared of whoever had done that to him, scared that they would come back for round two. 

“Hey, just calm down, alright? I won’t leave if you don’t want me to. How about we just sit here and wait til school ends, then I’ll walk you home, yeah?” He could see the visible relief in the others’ eyes as he said all this, up until the part about going home. At that moment, his eyes went wide and the flat of his palm flew up to his face, his fingers running over the injuries experimentally. Rapidly, the boy shook his head and Kageyama, afraid this might actually _hurt_ him, fixed his sentence, “We can go back to my house, if you’d like. Neither of my parents will be home and you can just rest up until school, alright?” Kageyama didn’t know how he’d hide this kid when his parents got home, but he wasn’t really thinking about that at the time. No, the only thoughts in his brain were of who this kid was, why he was so damn bloody, and ‘oh, hey, I maybe want to protect this precious sunshine with my life.’

The two of them sat on the bathroom floor together, the strange boy resting his head against Kageyama’s shoulder. Every so often, Kageyama would glance over to make sure that 1.) the boy was still alive and 2.) the bleeding had not again resumed. The boy, now that all the blood was wiped off and his tears were all dried up, actually was very pretty in a sort of…,.feminine way. His long, dark eyelashes fanned against the red expanse of skin below his eyes. They sat like that for hours until the final bell of the day rang, releasing all of the middle school students to walk home. 

By the time Kageyama was sure most people had already left the school, he’d gotten up and cleaned what blood he could from the bathroom floor, the liquid smearing red across the light tile floor. The other boy hadn’t spoken to him again, yet, but he’d made sure to check that he was okay every couple of minutes. After most everything was cleaned up, he went back to the stall where the boy sat, “Everyone's gone. You okay to leave now…?” 

He cleared his throat, casting a watery smile at Kageyama, “T-thank you, Kageyama-san.” 

Kageyama’s head jerked at the sound of his name falling from the stranger’s lips, dropped as casually as one drops a mixtape. “How’d you know my name?” 

“Heh, the other let out a nervous laugh, “First year we were in the same homeroom and you let me cheat off of you on the maths test when I was struggling.” 

Even with the explanation, Kageyama couldn’t remember who this kid actually was. He had a vague recollection of first year, it really his memory of it wasn’t all that good, “Sorry, I don’t remember who you are…”

“Hinata Shouyou.” The boy, Hinata, stood up from the bathroom floor for the first time, his legs shaky for having not used them for a long time. Kageyama reached out to support him, to grab his arm and make sure that he was okay. 

Shouyou pulled back from the touch, recoiling from the thought of being so _pathetic_ he couldn't even _walk_ by himself. 

“Oi, Hinata, it’s okay to ask for help, idiot.” Kageyama grabbed Hinata’s hand with his own and led them out of the bathroom. He’d left his schoolbag in his classroom but it was the weekend and he didn’t have any homework that he knew of, so he scratched the idea of going back for it. If he did and someone saw Hinata, it would make the fragile boy possibly break even further. Even after having only spent a few hours with him at this point, Kageyama could tell that Hinata’s emotions were not stable and presumably hadn’t been for a while. Adding on unexpected adult confrontation tot eh unstable emotions would just create mass chaos and Kageyama wouldn’t be lying if he said he wanted to avoid that. 

The entire way to his house, Kageyama could feel his heart beating rapidly; he’d never in his entire life done anything this…rebellious. First, he’d skipped class and now he was sneaking a boy into his bedroom? It was all for a good cause, sure, but he was still doing something he was not allowed to. He was breaking his parents’ rules for the first time and it was oddly exciting. 

The walk to his house from the school grounds didn’t take very long, normally, but with the fear of being caught fresh in their minds, the two boys were there in a matter of ten minutes. The first thing Kageyama did upon entering his house was usher Hinata into his room, just in case one of his parents came home from work early. Even if they did, it Hinata was in his room, Kageyama just might have enough time between hearing their cars pull up in the driveway and them walking in to hide Shouyou under his bed or something. 

“Thank you, Kageyama-san.” Hinata glanced at the taller boy as he took a seat on the floor. Kageyama wasn’t exactly sure what it was he was being thanked for (the helping clean him up? Not leaving him alone? Letting him come home with him?) but regardless, he let Hinata know that it was absolutely no big deal (even though he could tell it kind of actually _was_ to Hinata). 

After an awkward lull of conversation, where Kageyama didn’t know what to say and Hinata was far too scared to say _anything_ , the raven-haired boy stood up, “I know you don’t wanna be alone right now or something, but we should really probably get some bandages over those wounds so they won’t get infected or anything of the like.” 

“Shouyou.” The ginger offered with slight hesitation, “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to be called that.” 

“Ahm, alright. Well, I’ll be…” Kageyama trailed off with a gesture to the bedroom door before walking out and going into the bathroom, where he proceeded to rummage through drawer after drawer, searching for bandages. He knew they were bound to have some lying around, considering his mom’s profession, but for Goodness sake he couldn’t find any. In a last ditch effort, Kageyama opened the tiny silver case his mom kept her few beauty products in. Underneath foundation, mascara, and lip-gloss, he found a small zippered pouch with bandages and antibiotic cream, along with other first aid supplies. Why his mom had them in there, he had no idea. At least he had found them, though. 

He grabbed the pouch out of the case before carefully rearranging everything as his mom had had it, so it wouldn’t look suspicious. Then, he headed back to his room to find Hinata sitting on his bed, a pillow clutched in his hands. He could see the remnants of tears on Shouyou’s face and lowkey regretted his choice to leave him alone. “Hey, you good, Hin-Shouyou?” Kageyama laid the first aid kit on the bed before he pulled out the bandages and started to cover up the wounds left on the boy’s skin. Shouyou just nodded, once again thanking Kageyama for helping him. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me or anything, but can I ask what happened to you today?” Kageyama spread the antibiotic cream against the cuts, producing a sharp gasp from the other. 

“These guys, they, um, saw me over the weekend last weekend and, uhm, like, I don’t know if you’re aware or not but I kind of, you know, wear girls’ clothes? And makeup and other stuff…” Kageyama had no idea that Shouyou did any of this but so far it didn’t seem like it was actually something to violently assault someone else. “But yeah, they apparently don’t like f-f-faggots.” 

He heard the break in Shouyou’s voice seconds before the tears came out of his honey gold eyes and before he knew it, Kageyama was so blinded by rage, he couldn’t even see well enough to continue on with the bandages. Now typically, Kageyama _sucked_ at drawing accurate conclusions, but based on the injuries Shouyou was sporting, the tears, and the derogative term he’d just called himself, it was pretty darn obvious what had happened and why. 

“Don’t call yourself that, Shouyou. Those guys are just jerks, alright? They don’t even know you so don’t listen to them.” 

Shouyou let out a laugh against the tears, choking a little on his own emotions, “You don’t know me either, Kageyama-san.” 

“Yeah, well, I’d like to get to…If that’s alright with you…” The rage inside of Kageyama still lingered, but he’d pushed it into the back of his mind to focus on cheering is newfound friend up. He could worry about getting those kids back some other time. 

“Are you serious? You want to get to know me, even though I’m a fa- a freak? “He saw the disbelief in those sad little golden eyes and his heart couldn’t help but ached for the other’s suffering. Maybe one day, after Kageyama helped him and picked off all those bullies, Shouyou would be able to believe that _hey, he was worth it dammit._ Even with all his unique traits, Shouyou was a gem and Kageyama just wanted to help him realize his own potential. 

Things got better for the both of them after that incident. Within the week, the group of boys who’d beaten Shouyou up had gotten arrested due to an anonymous tip, telling the local police force where they could find middle-schoolers who were peddling drugs to other kids. Shouyou and Kageyama hung out all the time, helping each other with homework and hanging out by the community pool together during the summer days when the heat was too oppressive. It was a good friendship, one that both Kageyama’s and Hinata’s parents gushed over. Slowly but surely, time moved on and soon they were in their first year of high school. That first semester was when things began to change for the worse... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So!! Here this is!! Sorry about that like 2-month unannounced hiatus!! Work is so exhausting, let me tell y'all. I'm hoping to update every two weeks or so, but if I don't you guys can totally come yell at me on [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/pastelprincessa) and be like "Um, Val what the heck? It's been a month and I want my Kurohina :( "
> 
> ALSO, my lovely friend did some KuroHina artwork for this fic, which you can find [ Here! ](http://kroger.co.vu/post/150460579225/low-key-kuro-hinas-for-kurohinatrash)
> 
> And!! If you guys liked the flashback story, comment and tell me below and maybe I'll write more about the past kagehina friendship!!


	17. Chapter 17

Things turned worse, though, that first semester. Kageyama didn’t really notice it, not at first, but before he knew it, he’d lost sight of his best friend. The first few weeks or so they continued to hang out, but soon enough Kageyama was struggling to keep himself afloat with all the projects and advanced teachings. He wouldn’t see Shouyou for days, something that had never happened since that very first day in the school bathroom. 

 

Unbeknownst to him, another group of bullies started picking on Shouyou for ‘being girly’ and Shouyou’s mental health was crumbling like a cookie until it was no longer existent. Before Kageyama could even register it, Shouyou would ditch him on days that Kageyama was able to hang out. He’d thought it was just because Sho’s parents wouldn’t let him, or he was hanging out with his cousins, but one day at school he found out otherwise. 

 

“Did you hear about that Hinata kid?” A girl two rows up from Kageyama whispered to the girl next to her. Now typically, he wouldn’t eavesdrop on anyone’s conversation, but upon hearing his best friend’s name he couldn’t help himself.

 

The girl looked around the room before leaning closer to her friend, “I heard he’s been hanging out with those punks, Okuyasu’s bunch. Can you believe it? For such a girly kid, he’s into some rough guys.” The other girl gasped as she heard this and he couldn’t help but do the same. 

 

“Oi, Sumisora-san, is that true? Hinata’s hanging out with Okuyasu?” Kageyama demanded, walking over to the two girls. Sumisora Yukio, the girl who’d started all of this gossip nonsense, glared at him for interrupting their conversation but her gaze softened when she realized who he was. 

 

“Oh, sorry, Kageyama-kun. I didn’t see you over there. Hinata-kun is your friend, right?” He could see the pity in her eyes and she wondered why she’d felt that way. 

 

“Yeah. Is it true or not, though? Has he been hanging out with that kid?” 

 

“They’ve been hanging out for a few weeks now. How’d you not know that? Practically the whole school has seen them, always loitering around the corner mart like a group of thugs.” Sumisora looked at him sadly, the guilt pouring out of her eyes for having to be the one to break his heart like this. While Kageyama wasn’t the type of extroverted, outgoing kid that most people found kind, she knew that he was a good guy and he didn’t deserve to find out about his best friend’s plight like this. 

 

Kageyama let out a curse; he knew what kind of people Okuyasu and his crew were and Shouyou definitely did not need that kind of influence in his life. Okuyasu was one of those stereotypical punk kids who never come to school, smoke, and always seem to be in some sort of major trouble. He’d even heard something about that kid running some sort of underground mafia type of stuff. 

 

At the end of the school day, Kageyama was determined to find Hinata and talk to him. He left his homeroom a few minutes early while Sumisora covered for him, so that he could stand outside of Hinata’s homeroom right as the final bell rang for the day. He’d been dodged and avoided too many times already, so he wasn’t going to give him any room to escape this talk/mild interrogation. They were going to have it and it was going to happen _today_. 

 

The moment he saw that flash of bright orange hair against the black of the school uniform, Kageyama’s voice boomed out, “Oi, Hinata! We need to talk.”

 

Shouyou swirled around in an instant, nervous honey-golden eyes meeting angry royal blue eyes. Kageyama could tell his best friend was a little scared of the situation he was in, but he couldn't really bring himself to calm down a lot. For all he knew, Shouyou had never even hung out with Okuyasu and everything was alright. But if that were the case, why would Shouyou be avoiding him? It didn’t make any sense otherwise. 

 

“Kageyama! Ah, what do we need to talk about?My birthday isn’t for a while so you don’t need to get me a present or anything…”Shouyou laughed nervously, fiddling with his thumbs. Kageyama rolled his eyes before gently taking Shouyou’s hand and leading him to the stairwell in the secluded part of the school. Kageyama sat down on the second step from the bottom, his knees pulled to his chest a s he took in a deep breath before starting what was the hardest conversation he’d had in all of his fifteen years. 

 

“Are you okay? You keep avoiding me and everything…” Kageyama trailed off, not letting Shouyou see how _hurt_ he was that they’d not been hanging out, that Shouyou hadn’t even texted him in the past few days. 

 

Hinata smiled, sitting criss-cross applesauce below Kageyama at the bottom of the stairs. His face burned bright red as he started to explain himself, “Yeah, of course I’m okay, Kageyama! I’ve just been really busy with schoolwork and stuff. Ya know, this new maths stuff is practically _killing_ me, hahaha.” 

 

“Shouyou, seriously, Sumisora Yukio told me you’ve been hanging out with Okuyasu.And other kids in my class have said the same thing.” Kageyama tried to hide the hurt in his voice with anger, but he wasn’t too successful in that. It would be a few more months til he could master that. 

 

Shouyou, ever oblivious to the feelings of other people, simply refuted everything Kageyama had known to be true.Seething with anger and scorched from the heat of his own hurt, Kageyama stood up from his spot on the stairwell. “Kageyama?Where are you going? I thought we were talking!” 

 

The raven haired boy simply shook his head, too in awe at the audacity his best friend had to lie straight to his face that he was unable to say much of anything really. “We can talk when you finally start telling me the truth.”

 

And he walked away, just like that, leaving Shouyou completely alone, as he’d never done before. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It took two weeks for Shouyou to talk to him, or at least attempt to through his slurred speech and hazy memory. At three in the morning on a Friday night, all Kageyama wanted to do was lay in bed and go to sleep. Apparently, though, that wasn’t in the cards for him then. 

 

At precisely 3:17 a.m., Kageyama’s phone started buzzing, making a cacophony of noise as it vibrated against his metal bedside table. Surely no one could really need him badly enough to call him at a time like this, Kageyama thought to himself as he picked up his phone to see who was calling at such an insane hour. The caller ID read ‘Hinata Shouyou’ with a little orange heart emoji next to the name. 

 

Even amidst the haze of sleep, Kageyama could feel the anxiety creeping up his backside like vines up and abandoned home. Shouyou and he hadn’t talked in weeks and now he was calling him this late at night? No way, something had to be wrong. He pressed the green ‘Accept Call’ button and brought the phone up to his ear, “Hello? Shouyou?”

 

“Ahah, it’s you! Tobiooooooo, I misseded you!” The voice on the other end, more low-pitched than Shouyou’s usual, giggled out quickly, as if rushing to throw all his words out in an attempt to not be stopped. Not that Kageyama would have stopped him anyway; he was far too tired to deal with Shouyou calling him repeatedly. “I wanna talk to ya! You, like, haven’ even look at me in three years.” 

 

“Are you seriously drunk right now, Hinata?” Kageyama let out a curse. He didn’t have much experience with alcohol and drunk people, but as any high-schooler would, he knew what they acted like. And of course after hanging out with that bastard Okuyasu he was bound to get into some bad stuff. On the other end of the conversation, Kageyama could hear loud music and the shouts of random drunk people. Dammit, he wasn’t even just drinking, no, Hinata was at a full fledged house party now. 

 

“‘M not drunk, Tobio. ‘Ve had a bit too much to drink, tha’s all.’ The way he lazily slurred his words and his poor grasp of his native language made Kageyama believe otherwise.

 

“Sure you aren’t, Hinata.” Kageyama suppressed a yawn deep in the back of his throat, rolling his eyes at his best friend. “Why’d you call me? I thought I told you not to talk to me if you’re gonna keep lying to me.” 

 

Wherever Shouyou was at the moment, he could hear a water faucet being turned on and the sound of water splashing all over. What the hell was the little guy doing? “He said he loves me, Tobio.” 

 

“What? Who loves you?” 

 

“Okuyasu,” Shouyou giggled at something Kageyama couldn’t hear before turning back to the topic at hand. “Silly, who else would I be talking about? But he said he loooooves me, do you love me, Tobio?” 

 

“Okuyasu? So you have been hanging around that punk?” Really, this fight, so to speak, between the two of them was all because Okuyasu decided to get his greasy, dirty hands in Shouyou’s life. No, he shouldn’t really say that because Shouyou let him do that and then he decided to lie to Kageyama. It was both of their fault, really. 

 

“Hangin around? Toooobio, don’t tell me you forgot Okuyasu and I are dating!” _Holy frick._ Kageyama could feel his heartbeat stutter when he heard those words pour out of Shouyou’s mouth. 

 

“W-what?” They were dating now? Since when was Okuyasu into guys? And why would Shouyou even date someone like him? Shouyou was so different from the punk; it didn’t make any sense. All of these questions ran through him quicker than Usain Bolt during the Olympics. It had only been two weeks and now this was happening!

 

“Punk?” Shouyou let out a sniffle, “Okuyasu is not a punk! He’s my boyfriend and he loooves me so much, Tobio!” 

 

“How long have you two even known each other? A month? C’mon, Hinata.” 

 

“Pssh, at least he cares about me! He didn’t just ditch me the moment we got into high school!” Ouch, that was a low blow. Sure, Kageyama hadn’t been able to be as close to Hinata since they started high school because of his schooling, but he _had_ tried to talk to him whenever he had the chance. Hinata always seemed to be the one avoiding him, though. 

 

“That’s because he didn’t even acknowledge your existence before high school!” Kageyama sighed, pushing his black bangs up and out of his face. Shouyou was his best friend, always. Hopefully this was just a rough patch and they’d get through it. “Hinata, please, just tell me one thing, are you safe right now?” 

 

“Of course I’m safe, Tobio. Okuyasu’s here to protect me.”

 

“Of course, _Okuyasu_. Good night, Hinata. Please refrain from calling me again.” Kageyama hung up before Shouyou could say anything else. Talking with him when he was like this was migraine-inducing. He’d never really liked drinking or drugs or anything of the sort so knowing his best friend in all of the world was doing those things, and with a random boy at that, made his blood boil. _Whatever, it’s not like I can do anything about it,_ Kageyama thought as he flipped his blanket off of him, getting up to head into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. _What do I even care anyway? It’s that idiot’s life he’s messing up, not mine._

 

Kageyama and Shouyou didn’t talk for the next couple of months. Kageyama found some new people he kind of sort of didn’t hate talking to and they became his friends. It was nothing like the friendship he had with Shouyou, though. He and his new friends didn’t hang out at each other’s houses, didn’t plan stupid future events together like moving into their first apartment together or buying a cactus and naming it ‘Naru’ after their favorite spiky haired ninja. No, with his new friends they just ate lunch together and sometimes talked about a new episode of some popular television show they all liked. These months without Shouyou were lonely and painful, especially the first time his mom asked him why he hadn’t come over to have dinner with them lately. Kageyama was almost in tears telling his mom that Shouyou had gotten a new boyfriend and friend group and that they were over as friends. At least at the moment. 

 

Kageyama saw Shouyou every once in a while at school, though, and that was more painful than anything. The aching feeling in his chest every time he saw Shouyou and had to physically stop himself from saying ‘hi’ or asking him how he was killed Kageyama inside. A week or two after their three am phone conversation, he saw Shouyou, his eyes droopy and a fake smile plastered on his face as he talked to Okuyasu and his friends. He looked so...worn. Tired. Upset. With a low growl at how poorly his ex-best friend was being treated by his new boyfriend, Kageyama had clutched his school bag closer to his bag and carried on walking to his classroom. 

 

One Friday night, Kageyama’s friends invite him to go see some new action flick that had come out the weekend before. Kageyama was a little reluctant to go, but his mom told him it would be good for him to get out of the house for a little bit. He understood she was worried that he was depressed and maybe he was a little bit, but that was to be expected when one’s best friend completely ditched them for a few months, give or take. So, Kageyama’s mom gave him a fistful of money and sent him on his way to hang out with his friends. 

 

“Ne, Kageyama-kun? Do you wanna share a popcorn with me?” Ayame-san, one of the girls in his friend group, offered, a small blush on her cheeks. The black haired girl was looking at Kageyama so expectantly that he couldn’t say no. 

 

“I, um, that would be nice, Ayame-san.” He ended up paying for the popcorn because he was a gentleman and also his mother had given him plenty of yen to cover however much food he wanted. The movie was okay, but the main character seemed to be such a Mary Sue. Whenever something challenging would happen, she always came out of it unscathed and with some new ability that she didn’t have before. The side-romance wasn’t to his taste either; he didn’t understand why everything had to have romance and also why that romance had to be heterosexual. Kageyama and his friends parted ways at the train station and he made his way back to his house, all alone. Ayame-san had offered to accompany him home, but he lived on the opposite side of town from her, as Saeran-san kindly pointed out before offering to accompany Ayame-san home, seeing as he lived two streets over from her. 

 

On his walk home, Kageyama took his time. Every little cement building, every home, every flower he saw he tried to memorize. He hadn’t left the house much after everything with Shouyou, he just couldn’t make himself do anything, really. Even when he had been with Shouyou, he never had time to actually _observe_ the town he lived in. Looking around, he found he didn't particularly care for the way the people he came upon all tried to talk to him (didn’t they know it was weird to do that). The aesthetic of his town was nice, though, especially at times like this when the sun peaked over the roofs of buildings, casting a shadow over part of the world as it lowered itself in the sky. He was born and raised here, but he’d never been able to see the beauty of the serenity that a small town like this could offer. How nice…

 

Kageyama’s mind wandered as he did throughout the streets. It was getting darker now and he didn’t want to worry his mother any more than he probably already had, so he picked up his pace and headed straight back to his house.As he walked in the doorway, he stopped to take off his shoes, “Mom! I’m home!” Going to place his shoes on the rack next to his mom’s, he paused when he saw a strikingly familiar pair of beat-up pink converse. _Shouyou?_

 

Hurriedly, he sprinted inside, looking for his mom. If Shouyou was here, if he’d come back to reconcile or something, he’d…. Well, he didn’t know what he’d do really. He’d thought about it the past few months, sure, but he’d never thought that Shouyou would just pop up out of nowhere and come into his house while he wasn’t home. “Mom?” 

 

He heard faint whispers coming from the bathroom and turned on his heel to make his way over there. Inside the bathroom, he saw Shouyou sitting on the counter top, Kageyama’s mom fussing over him. Apparently she’d been too busy doing so that she hadn’t heard her son even walk in. He couldn’t see Shouyou well enough to know what was going on, so he just asked. 

 

“Tobio!” His mother startled, grasping her chest as she twirled around to look her son in the eyes. “What are you doing home so early?” 

 

“What’s _he_ doing here?” Kageyama ignored his mother’s question in favor of asking his own. After all, he wasn’t early, but rather late, so there was no answer to that question, and his own curiosity was too rampant. He hadn’t seen Shouyou in his house in _months_. Why was he here again?

 

“Now, now, Tobio, don’t be rude. We can talk about this later. Please, just go in the other room while I take care of this.” He saw the look in his mom’s eyes, the one that usually he would know meant serious business and that he should do exactly as she says. He was too angry, too curious, too sad, to listen to her, though, and it showed. 

 

“Take care of what?” The entire time, Shouyou hadn’t said a word, which worried Kageyama. Even if they were in a fight sort of thing, Shouyou _always_ talked, always had to give his opinion on something or other. He wasn’t the type of kid to be quiet and reserved unless something was really wrong. _Dang it,_ Kageyama cursed inside his head, _I can’t help but still care for him._ “Mom, what’s going on?” 

 

She looked ready to tell him to mind his own business, but a small pale hand tugged at her arm as a soft voice, one that Kageyama couldn’t hear himself, whispered something into her ear. She let out a sigh and stepped to the side, finally revealing Shouyou. Immediately, Kageyama had flashbacks of that first day the two of them had met. _Shouyou, in a bathroom, his face bloodied, tears leaking out of his eyes. Kageyama, walking in, terrified of the sight in front of him._ This time, he wasn’t all out sobbing but he looked like he wanted to so badly. 

 

“Sho, what happened? Who do I need to kill?” Kageyama felt the blood running throughout his body burn hot with blazing anger. Shouyou was such a good kid, and maybe he’d gotten into some rougher things lately, but he didn’t deserve this kind of treatment, this kind of _abuse_. It was probably that Okuyasu kid he’d been dating, Kageyama thought, but he didn’t really care who’d done it. They needed to be taught a lesson. 

 

In a soft voice, flinching like he was afraid he’d be hit again, Shouyou spoke, “H-he didn’t like it when I told him ‘no’...” 

 

“Who? Okuyasu?” The battered boy in front of Kageyama nodded, bringing his knees up to his chest as he balanced himself on the edge of the bathroom counter top. Kageyama saw the beginnings of tears well up in his best friend’s eyes and before he could even realize what he was doing, he had his arms wrapped around Shouyou, telling him that everything was going to be okay. As Shouyou cried into his chest, Kageyama felt his mother brush past them on her way out of the bathroom. Of course his mom had to leave just as it got to the emotional part, where mothers were best at helping. Or, at least _his_ mother was best at helping. “Shhh, Sho, it’s okay. You’re safe now…” Kageyama tried to remember the first time this had happened, what he’d said to calm him down. “I won’t leave you, I promise.” _Not again._

 

Kageyama stayed with Shouyou for the entire weekend. Every night, he would hold his best friend and whisper comforting things into his ear as he cried and cried and cried. At one point, Kageyama himself burst into tears because it was his fault. He’d left Shouyou alone to deal with this new guy and being pressured into things he shouldn’t have gotten into. He left Shouyou alone and that was why he’d turned to someone else to be his best friend. Shouyou had reassured him, though, that none of it was his fault. He’d given Shouyou a chance to tell the truth, to come clean so that he could help him, but he’d lied to Kageyama instead of doing so, so therefore it was his fault and his fault alone. Ironically, Kageyama found fault in that statement, but did nothing about it. All he could do was make sure his best friend was doing alright and that this never happened to him again, as long as he lived and breathed. 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“And, uh, yeah, that’s why I’ve gotta go, you know? It's not that I don’t trust them or anything,   
I do, but I just don’t trust myself to help if something _did_ go wrong.” Kageyama explained with a runny nose to Kenma as they neared his apartment building. The grip Kenma has on his fingers was tight, but just enough so that Kageyama feels completely surrounded and comforted by his boyfriend. While it was a huge relief to _finally_ get this off his chest, it’s also something that makes Kageyama very emotional. Thinking about how one failed their best friend would do that to anyone, though. 

 

Kenma nodded, looking up at his boyfriend through his bangs, “I understand how you feel. Thank you for telling me.” 

 

Kenma grips his boyfriend’s hand the entire way up to the door of Kageyama and Shouyou’s apartment. He gives a reassuring squeeze as his boyfriend opens up the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy, guess who's back and still not keeping update promises! I'm so sorry about that guys but I've just had a lot to do and a lot of things happen! I'm gonna try to update more often, though. 
> 
> I hope this was a good chapter, though, and that you guys enjoyed it? Let me know if you did! And thank you to everyone who's commented, or messaged me, etc. You guys are so sweet and I'm genuinely at a loss of words when trying to tell you how much it means to me that you like my writing and are even willing to tell me so. 
> 
> Hope you guys stay safe and have a good day! 
> 
> Love, Val


	18. Chapter 18

Kageyama couldn't believe the pang of relief that hit him like a semi-truck the moment he saw Shouyou asleep in his bed, Kuroo’s arm holding him to his chest. It had been such a long anxiety attack, one filled with doubt and self-hatred and complete and utter worry, but it was okay. Everything was okay. Except for the fact that he lost half of his day alone with Kenma and if Shouyou woke up at this exact moment, he’d be barraged with questions about why Kageyama had felt it necessary to come over and check on him. This series of questions would then lead to the inevitable ‘Don’t you trust me, Tobio?’ which Kageyama wasn’t sure he could handle at the moment. 

“Tobio, look, he’s okay. They’re just sleeping.” Kenma whispered to his boyfriend softly, tugging his arm gently to get him to leave the room. Kageyama followed with little to no complaint, closing Shouyou’s bedroom door softly behind them so as not to wake the new couple. He and Kenma went back to his room, where they laid in bed together. They didn’t talk, didn’t even look at each other or make any unnecessary sounds. The two of them just laid there in the comfort of each other’s company. While he’d never explicitly said this out loud to anyone, Kageyama loved moments like these where he could just be himself with the boy who held his heart in his tiny little gamer hands.  
While he and Kenma hadn’t been dating the longest out of the people he knew, like Daichi and Suga, Kageyama knew that their love was just as true. Time didn’t mean anything in relation to the feelings the both of them had towards each other. “Kenma?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Thank you.” _For being here, for supporting me, for not hating me when I reveal my darkest secrets to you, for loving me the way no one else is capable of._ “For everything.” 

Kenma glanced over at his boyfriend, a shimmering layer of red dusting his cheeks, “D-don’t thank me, Tobio. You don’t have to.” But he did. Kageyama had to thank Kenma because no one else in his entire life had made him feel this way, had made him feel so supported and secure but also dangerously on edge. No one else had bothered to get past his antisocial, prideful front to weasel their way into his heart, into the deepest depths of his _soul_. Instead of saying this, though, since he was so bad at using his words when it actually mattered, Kageyama just buried his face in the soft, warm sheets of his bed. 

Life with Kenma was nice, he’d say. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shouyou woke up to the warm breath of another on the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. The post-sleep haziness in his brain was just starting to clear when he realized who exactly the person was that he was sleeping on top of. _Kuroo._ He’d spent the night when Shouyou had asked him, no reservations or qualms about any of it. It was sweet to think that the previous night’s sleep was the best he’d gotten in literal weeks. It could have been just that he was so exhausted he had nothing else to do but to sleep soundly, but he’d like to think that it was the fact that he was held tightly against the soft warmth of Kuroo’s chest. 

“Mmm, Neko-chan, how was your sleep?” Shouyou felt the fingers threading through his hair before he heard the sound of Kuroo’s low, husky voice. Was this what it sounded like when he first woke up? If so, Shouyou was going to have a hard time controlling himself around Kuroo first thing in the morning. If the other boy weren’t careful, he’d kiss his face off before Kuroo even had the chance to get a cup of coffee. 

“Mm, that feels nice.” Shouyu muttered against the fabric of Kuroo’s shirt, nuzzling his head into Kuroo’s touch. The older boy beneath him let out a low chuckle at Shouyou’s antics. “Sorry,” Shouyou popped his head up to look into Kuroo’s deep, dark eyes, “My sleep was very nice. Yours?” 

“Well, I got to wake up next to you…” Kuroo winked at him. 

“Ha, what a sappy nerd.” The younger boy let out a giggle as he wormed his way out of Kuroo’s grip. He would love to stay cuddled up next to Kuroo with no cares in the world, but he hadn’t been on his phone for hours and if he knew Kageyama (which he _did _), then he would know that Kageyama was probably freaking out over Shouyou not answering his calls or texts. He couldn’t really blame him, though, after what he’d put Kageyama through before.__

__Shouyou kissed Kuroo on the cheek, “Be right back. Gotta call Kageyama.” Then, he rolled off of his bed, not as gracefully as he would have liked, and went to go get his phone from the last place he remembered having it: the living room couch. It was the same place where he and Kuroo had watched the movie last night, the same place where he had initially fallen asleep on his date. As he reached down to grab his phone off of the table in front of the couch, Shouyou noticed something. It was something small, but it stuck out to him: the slight sounds of whispering coming from one of the bedrooms. The faint voice he heard wasn’t Kuroo’s, of that he was sure, but he couldn’t tell exactly who it was. Maybe Kageyama had come home early?_ _

__On the balls of his feet, trying not to make any noise just in case the person was an intruder rather than his best friend, Shouyou snuck towards the door of Kageyama’s room. It had been closed the entire night last night, but now the door was slightly cracked and the rays of the morning sun peeked through under the door. Closer, now, he could make out what was happening inside the room._ _

__“No, no, think about it, Tobio. There’s no way that he could beat me on Love Live, even if he has a bunch of UR Umis. It’s just not plausible.” Ahh, so Kenma and Kageyama were both in his room. Of course they were whispering to each other about Love Live, too. He couldn’t hear Kageyama’s reply, but he’d bet anyone a thousand yen that it was something sarcastic and sassy- that was just the way Kageyama was about video games. With a sharp intake of breath, Shouyou knocked on the bedroom door._ _

__“Oi, Kageyama, open up!” Shouyou called out, his knuckles rapping against the door. It wasn’t long before he heard a loud sigh and someone getting up off of the bed. Kageyama opened the door, his eyes sad and tired. Wait, sad and tired? He could understand why Kageyama would be tired, but sad?? What was that about?_ _

__“Hey.” His words were short and direct, his gaze piercing Shouyou’s face. Forgetting about whatever it was he was about to bother him for, Shouyou went into his mom mode, asking Kageyama what was wrong with him, why did he look so haggard? When Kageyama told him what happened that morning, how he had told Kenma _everything_ about their first year of high school, how he’d had another panic attack, and how he’d worried his ass off over what was going on with Shouyou and Kuroo, Shouyou couldn’t help but feel absolutely terrible for not being awake and for not letting him know that everything was okay. As Shouyou started to profusely apologise to his best friend, said best friend shut him up with a light slap to the shoulder, reassuring him that it was all okay. Both of them were apologetic, so they should just get past it and go back to their respective boyfriends, Kageyama pointed out. _ _

__\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_ _

__Kuroo left in the early afternoon, dragging his Kenma along with him. He gave Shouyou a parting kiss and winked at him before leaving the younger boy’s apartment. As per usual when anyone in the group had a date, Shouyou and the rest of the Crow group chat planned to meet up at Ukai’s for a late lunch/early dinner. It seemed that Ukai’s place was the Central Perk for his group of friends, a place for all of them to hang out and relax after a long week without seeing each other. There, they could get cheap food and good entertainment, what with the way Ukai always seemed to be scolding someone in their group for doing something idiotic._ _

Shouyou and Kageyama left together, locking the door behind them. After the whole fiasco that was the morning’s events, Shouyou was sure to be more considerate of Kageyama, even going so far as to not talk as much on the way to the cafe. He knew that sometimes Kageyama needed silence, especially when he was going to do some socialising for a while, so it would end up better for the group if Kageyama was more prepared for their outing. Shouyou also knew that while his best friend wouldn’t admit it, he loved the small, comforting touches that came with being friends with someone as...comfortable as Shouyou. Thus, he took Kageyama’s hand in his own and held it loosely their entire walk. 

“Shouyou,” Kageyama started, looking around at the semi-busy street they were currently walking down, “Did you, um, did you have fun last night? With Kuroo?”

“Mm, yeah. He’s a really nice guy…” How did one go about describing someone they thought could be their soulmate? Would it be too sappy to come outright and say that? Should Shouyou just stick to acting more indifferent than anything else?

“Good. I-I’m glad you have someone like that, someone who will actually treat you right.” Kageyama spoke with a practiced kind of cold certainty that was meant to cover up any actual emotions he had, but after literal years with him, Shouyou could see right past all of that; Kageyama was genuinely happy, almost to the point of tears. How cute. 

“Me too. Let’s just hope I don’t mess this one up.” The rest of the walk was quiet between the two of them, the only sounds coming from their surroundings. Passing businessmen talked on their mobile phones to clients, parents guided their children along the busy street with a simple outstretched hand. This city may not have been where he grew up, but Shouyou felt like this was where he belonged, felt like this was the one place meant for him to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me? 
> 
> Love you guys,   
> Val <3


End file.
